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animebw · 3 months

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Short Reflection: Spring 2024 Anime

I feel like 2024 is shaping up to be an unusual year for anime. Most mainstream shonen and isekai are staggering into audience fatigue of some kind or another, two-cours series are making a massive comeback, and big waves are being made from eclectic shows like Apothecary Diaries and Girls Band Cry that would likely be relegated to cult classic status in years prior. There haven't been many clear standouts yet, but there's a lot of fascinating second-tier stuff bubbling just under the surface. It feels like the general anime audience has grown so big at this point that the way we consume shows and the kinds of shows that break through are evolving before our eyes. Never mind movies like Look Back and The Colors Within waiting in the wings to redefine our notions of what animated cinema can be. All this is to say, I don't know what we'll make of 2024 when all is said and done, but it's gonna be a very interesting story. For now, though, let's take stock of spring's roster of shows to pick out the best, the worst, and the worth checking out. Not counting the shows I've already talked about (Hibike Euphonium's final season 9.5/10 and Demon Slayer's training arc 4/10) or MHA's latest foray, which I'm still waiting to see exactly how it shakes out.

Dead Dead Demons' Dededede Destruction: Please Watch/10

I'm putting this one right up front because while it's still very early into airing, there's a good chance a lot of you don't even know it exists. Released initially as a pair of movies earlier this year, this adaptation of Oyasumi Punpun author Inio Asano's bizarre bildungsroman alien invasion manga has been retooled into an 18-episode TV series with (apparently) lots of additional footage to fill out everything the movies had to cut for time. Those production circumstances alone would be interesting enough to merit checking it out (fingers crossed Haikyuu can get the same treatment?), but more importantly, this show is just really damn good, and it deserves better than being dropped on Crunchyroll with almost no fanfare and incomplete English subs that don't translate most of the written text. As someone who kind of loved and hated Punpun in equal measure, Dededede feels like all of Asano's best instincts on full display, a riveting exploration of how modern humanity is forced to struggle through "normal" life in the shadow of the apocalypse, asking how we can still set our sights on our futures when there's a very good chance that future might never come. It's messy and difficult, and yet it brims with love for people and our ability to seek kindness and compassion even in the darkest times. Just do yourself a favor and skip the awful "episode 0" prologue; not only is it leagues worse than the rest of the show, it spoils so many details about the story's endgame that it might just ruin the experience outright if you're not careful. You've been warned.

Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Part 2: 1.5/10

Is the second part of Mushoku Tensei season 2 as apocalyptically awful as the first part? Not quite, no. But that's only because Rudeus doesn't do anything quite as jaw-dropping as buying a child slave or kidnapping and molesting a pair of catgirls with no consequences. I know, the bar is in fucking hell and this garbage fire still barely managed to stumble over it. Otherwise, it remains every bit as vile as always. Here's a fun drinking game you can play: take a shot every time someone this season 1) makes excuses to justify why Rudeus shouldn't feel bad about doing something awful, 2) praises Rudeus to high heaven and calls him the most specialest boy ever, 3) falls head over heels for Rudeus in a matter of seconds. You'll likely pass out before you're halfway through the season, but on the plus side that means you won't have to watch any fucking more. I simply remain baffled that so many people have been fooled into thinking this show is something meaningful and smart, how many people ignore its glaringly obvious awfulness to pretend it's saying things it's not actually saying and exploring ideas it's not actually exploring. All I can do is wait impatiently for Re:Zero's return later this year so it can smack everyone senseless with a reminder of what challenging, subversive isekai storytelling actually looks like. Maybe then we'll finally be able to recognize this steaming pile of misogyny and rape culture for what it is and cast it out without a second thought. We can only hope.

Urusei Yatsura Season 2 (2nd Half): 4.5/10

I think I've given Urusei Yatsura a fair shake. I've done my best to enjoy it through its weaker moments and painfully obvious crows' feet. But now that it's finally over, all I can think is maybe it was better off left in the past. There are infinitely better screwball comedies that have come since, comedies that have been building off the tropes Urusei Yatsura established and finding much more interesting, meaningful things to do with them. This may be a foundational rom-com text, but fifty goddamn years later all its best qualities have been improved upon to the point of obsolescence, and all that's really left is the gross, dated stuff and the fact that every time it tries to be sincere and sentimental it runs into the unavoidable problem that all the romantic relationships its built on really kind of suck. Sorry, but Ataru and Lum are an awful couple and all the worst parts of this show are when it unironically tries to make you root for them despite them being pretty blatantly terrible for each other. I'll stick with Inuyasha, thank you very much.

Wind Breaker: 5/10

Man, why does every promising modern delinquent anime end up driving itself into a ditch before long? First Tokyo Revengers, then Bucchigiri, and now Wind Breaker has completed the trifecta. And this one had so much potential! Casting a shoujo-style blushy tsundere bad boy as the protagonist of an otherwise straightforward tough-guy action brawler is one of the most inspired strokes of genius I've seen in a long time (let alone getting the Kyo Sohma's VA to voice him). What better way to explore the emotional human side of delinquent storytelling than with a main character who's arc is all about accepting other people and learning to love himself despite the world's rejection of him? That plus a slick production full of badass fistfights should've been an easy recipe for success. Unfortunately, it falls victim to the most common of shonen death knells: getting stuck in an overlong, dragged-out arc that consists of nothing but uninteresting fights against half-baked antagonists that loses sight of what made this series unique until its final moments. And double minus points for entirely taking place in a single visually dull location that you're forced to stare at for like 5 episodes straight with occasional flashbacks as your only escape. Seriously, you could cut the Shishitoren arc to half its current length and lose very little of value. I can only hope the upcoming second season won't get similarly bogged down, cause a good version of this show is something I desperately want to believe is possible.

Konosuba Season 3: 5.5/10

So here's the good news first: Despite a seven year gap since the second season and a change in studio, Konosuba's third season is still every bit the same show it was. As for the bad news... well, the bad news is that Konosuba's third season is still every bit the same show it was. Yeah, in the years since I first watched it, I've had to really reckon with all the ways this show fucking sucks, and all of those reasons remain on full display undimmed by the passage of time. It's sexist, it's objectifying, it's violently queerphobic, it thinks sexual assault is the funniest thing ever when Kazuma's the one doing it, it's every bit as misogynistic and masturbatory as the isekai genre it's supposedly satirizing. And it's also still one of the funniest goddamn anime ever made when it wants to be. Seriously, if you just strip away all the godawful incel-pandering that's seemingly endemic to modern isekai, Konosuba's god-tier expression work and pitch-black sarcasm are a blast of laughing gas like nothing else in its vicinity. If it could just focus on telling actual jokes instead of passing off alt-right sexual politics as "comedy" half the time, it would more than deserve its status as a modern classic. But it won't, because it genuinely believes all that garbage is the funniest shit ever. Which is why it'll forever be stuck as a show that you can never admit to enjoying in public without being justifiably judged by everyone around you.

Train to the End of the World: 5.5/10

It's kind of impossible to describe what Train to the End of the World is about without sounding like you're flipping through ten different plot summaries and choosing words at random. But here's as best I can: a freak accident causes the world to morph into a surreal patchwork of bizarre locales, while also seemingly reducing the scope of the world to a single train line in Japan stretching between rural town Agano and Tokyo's metropolitan Ikebukuro district. When Agano high-schooler Shizuru finds evidence that her long-lost friend Yoka might be trapped in Ikebukuro- and also maybe related to the reason everything went insane- she hops on an abandoned train car with a few friends and a dog and starts the long, long journey to reach Ikebukuro through the madness and chaos that defines the new world. The best I can explain it is Gullliver's Travels by way of Alice in Wonderland and Salvador Dali, each episode taking us to another stop on the train line that's morphed into its own flavor of batshit crazy, from mushroom people to horny zombies to a post-canon bad end magical girl world. Unfortunately, any semblance of a point feels buried under a thousand tons of calcified absurdism too thick for anything resembling sincerity to peek through. There are attempts at exploring deeper themes or character moments, but the show's pace is so blisteringly fast and so deeply uninterested with anything beyond what wild ideas it can pull out of its hat that nothing really sticks by the time the train's rolling on to its next destination. If there's anything here beyond a series of wacky Moments(tm) delivered with the rushed breathlessness of a Youtube video on 2X speed, I can't say it made an impression.

Tonari no Youkai-san: 5.5/10

I'm of two minds about Tonari no Yokuai-san. On the one hand, it's a deeply heartfelt iyashikei that uses its fantasy elements to explore grief, loss, love, community, and the reasons we celebrate life even knowing it must one day end. This town of humans and spirits living side-by-side feels so real and warm you wish you could live there yourself, and the characters populating it, from earnest nekomata to old gay cars to prickly fox spirits and everyone in between, burst with inner life so naturally it almost makes you jealous. On the other hand, for some baffling reason, this show keeps trying to shoehorn in action plots and sci-fi elements that gel with the quiet, contemplative tone as well as oil and water. I genuinely don't understand why the author thought they needed time-space bureaus and giant rampaging snakes to liven things up when just the main character going through an existential crisis about how they're going to outlive everyone they love is ten thousand times more gripping than any of that other nonsense. On the bright side, the good stuff is still really good, and considering how few of you likely watched this show already, let this be your reminder this your reminder not to let it slip through the cracks.

Go Go Loser Ranger: 6/10

Is the idea of a dark, edgy twist on tokusatsu where the protagonist is a nameless minion trying to overthrow a fascist cabal of sentai rangers that unique? Not really, no. But god damn if Go Go Loser Ranger doesn't make it work regardless. There's something just inherently fun about watching one of those nameless background mooks that normally exist just to get punted en masse decide "You know what? I'm done being the world's punching bag. I'm gonna become the protagonist of my own story and take these fuckers down." We've all rooted for the underdog at some point, after all. It's only fair the most disposable fodder get a chance in the spotlight. And Go Go Loser Ranger delights in twisting that setup as far as it can get away with, constantly making you second-guess your allegiances to any one side as it quickly becomes clear there are no true heroes to root for in this world, just lots of different people flawed in very different ways, all fighting for their own personal gain. You're never quite sure when someone you're rooting for is going to break your trust with some horrific act, or someone you loathe is going to prove themselves more courageous than they first let on, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see when the next shoe's going to fall. Sadly, it also suffers from Wind Breaker's mistake of spending too much time on an overlong arc that's mostly just dull characters fighting in a duller location, but by the end it's shaken off those doldrums and returned to form in a big way. As long as the second season can keep those gears turning, we're in for a good time.

Spice and Wolf Reboot (1st Cours): 6/10

Let's be blunt: there is no point to remaking Spice and Wolf. The original series is still just as good fifteen years later, and despite the source material continuing past the point it ended, it reached such a beautiful conclusion on its own terms that it more than cemented its status as a true eternal anime classic. Sure, it's nice to experience this story again, to re-aquaint myself with Holo and Lawrence's wonderful chemistry and the fascinating ins and outs of Medieval economics that drive their story. There's a reason I fell in love with this show so many years ago, and Reboot Wolf still has plenty of that charm to go around. But this isn't a re-imagining or a Brotherhood/Froobs 2019 style "proper" adaptation. This is just the same show again but a little bit worse in every way. All I can think of, watching this story I know play out again, is how much stiffer and generic the modern art direction and animation is, how it plays things so much safer with its source material while the original wasn't afraid to make strong changes, how Holo's prickly personality has been neutered into a much more docile, Lawrence-dependent character while the original stood so strong on her own two feet. Maybe it works well enough if this is your first taste of Spice and Wolf, but then, the original show is right there! You could just watch that instead and get a much better experience all around!

Yuru Camp Season 3: 6.5/10

Speaking of shows that are probably pointless, was there really any need for Yuru Camp to continue after the one-two satisfying punch of season 2 and the epilogue movie? Those endings put such a beautiful bow on the series that anything else would feel superfluous. Especially with such a massive downgrade in the art direction department, Jesus Christ. I don't know who's running studio 8bit's compositing department these days, but between this and the latest Yama no Susume season, it's so painful to see a studio that once excelled at background art reduced to putting filters over photographs and awkwardly slapping ill-fitting moeblob characters on top. The clash between the characters and the backgrounds this season is legitimately painful at times, and for a vibes-based iyashikei like Yuru Camp, that could so easily be a death knell. Thank the gods, then, that most of this series' charm still comes through in spite of itself, the wonderful characters and delightfully daffy comedy still as strong as ever as it extols the virtues of finding your peace in the great outdoors. But if we're going to get any more, then please figure out how to make this new aesthetic not so physically repellent to look at.

Kaiju No. 8: 7/10

I've said many times that the art of making a Good Enough show is more complicated than most people appreciate. It takes so much skill and talent, so much mastery of the basic building blocks of storytelling, to create something that's just fun to watch plain and simple. And Kaiju No. 8 is yet another example of how impressive it is when one of these shows gets it right. It's a simple, straightforward action show about an over-the-hill sanitation worker getting one last chance to live his dream as a member of the elite kaiju-slaying force that keeps the world safe from the towering monsters that menace it... by accidentally becoming part kaiju himself. The characters are simple but lovable, the emotional stakes are earnest without being overbearing, the action is consistently exciting and well-animated, and the story keeps you on your toes with well-worn tropes executed in novel and exciting ways. I honestly don't think I've seen a shonen action romp so perfectly nail its fundamentals like this since the early days of My Hero Academia. Whether or not this show will also rise to MHA's eventual level of complexity and thematic weight remains to be seen, but for now, it's just plain fun, and an easy recommendation to anyone looking for a good time.

Delicious in Dungeon (2nd Cours): 7.5/10

Well, I asked for Dungeon Meshi to get darker, and by god, that's exactly what it did. Through shocking plot turns and deeply disquieting thematic touches, this silly little fantasy cooking comedy has developed into something much more sinister and unsettling... while still being primarily a silly fantasy comedy about cooking D&D monsters into mouthwatering meals. I'm still not sure if the tonal whiplash entirely works, but my god does it make this a fascinating show to watch. A single episode can take you from some of the most gut-busting deadpan snark this side of Gintama to a skin-crawling contemplation on mortality and consuming life to perpetuate your own without missing a beat. Turns out, Dungeon Meshi has thoughts on the nature of food as a biological, societal and cultural force, and how that force is not always as simple or benign as a meal shared with friends and family. And it explores those ideas with a quiet dread that makes even its silliest moments feel like a tentative breath before things come crashing down. I have no idea how things will shake out in the second season, but if manga fans are to be believed, it's only going to get more twisted and insane from here. I cannot fucking wait. Just, can Falin stay on screen for more than a single episode without being kidnapped again this time? Girl's such a damsel in distress even Princess Peach is giving her concerned looks.

Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night: 7.5/10

There is no feeling quite like being a young artist. You're excited to make your mark, painfully anxious about not measuring up while simultaneously being quite full of yourself, bursting with ideas and not quite sure how to execute them, but above all else, in love with the act of creation. And I don't think I've ever seen an anime that so perfectly embodies that messy, beautiful spirit as Jellyfish Can't Swim in the Night. Four girls from different artistic backgrounds- an artist, a singer, a musician, and a tech wiz- come together as one to give each other the strength they lack on their own, forming the musical group JELEE as they strive to love themselves and their work through the magic they make together. It's an explosion of passion and joy, often times outstripping its ability to measure up to its ambitions and stumbling over itself, but always shining, always dazzling, always wearing its heart firmly on its sleeve as it celebrates the joy of creation in the digital age and the importance of sincerity in a world too afraid of cringe to accept it. It's also a wonderfully capital-P Progressive series; there's a gay kiss, one character is eventually revealed to be nonbinary in a scene so spectacular I wish I could bump my score up another half-point for it alone. Sadly, it only reaches those heights every so often- but when it does, my god is it a sight to behold.

Girls Band Cry: 8/10

I remember back when I watched Love Live Sunshine, I wished there was a girls' music anime where the protagonists sung the kind of badass punk rock usually reserved for the antagonists of idol shows. Well, it looks like writer Jukki Hanada and director Kazuo Sakai heard me, because five years after bidding Sunshine farewell, they're returned with one of the most exhilarating, renegade expressions of punk spirit we've gotten in a long time. Girls Band Cry is a supernova, a soaring firecracker of a show that marries an instantly iconic headbanger soundtrack with Hanada's typically spectacular character writing in this tale of five outcasts forming a band and coming together to spit in the face of the world that tried to grind them into conformity. Nina Iseri's arrogant, self-righteous immaturity is a primal scream for the importance of doing what's right over what's easy, and you feel that scream in your fucking soul. Even the show's scrappy CG animation embodies that non-comformist spirit, charting stunning new avenues for 3D anime with some of the most expressive character models and soaring concert scenes you're likely to see all decade. And while the pacing is definitely rushed at points, the overwhelming emotions bleeding from each and every scene make even the weakest moments go down easy. It's downright criminal Toei fumbled the ball on an official English release, but unless you're completely against sailing the high seas, you owe it to yourself to track it down regardless. So raise your middle fingers to the sky, spill your heart from your chest, and let Togenashi Togeari force you to believe in the power of rock all over again.

Dropped:

-Bartender Drops of God (3 Episodes). Too boring to stick with in a pretty packed season.

-A Condition Called Love (3 Episodes). Creepy possessiveness excused for the sake of romance.

Blue Archive (1 Episode). Do you even need to ask.

-The Many Sides of Voice Actor Radio (2 Episodes). Awful adaptation that butchers what made the manga so great.

-Whisper Me a Love Song (9 Episodes). The production falls completely apart and it skips the main couple's first kiss. Just read the manga, it's really damn good and deserved so much better.

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captnjacksparrow · 2 years

Note

Why do you think Kishimoto made Sasuke a boy when he has the traits of the heroine?

I mean, yay for the representation, but why? Maybe he just didn’t intend for Naruto to become as popular as it did and he’d be able to make it canon, but this is still SJ, a company with a heteronormative bias, so why would he make the literal best love story I’ve seen if he knew he couldn’t bring it all the way to the end?

If Sasuke was a girl, it would’ve been the best of both worlds, too. Sakura and Hinata wouldn’t need to exist, SS and NH wouldn’t exist, and if he’d still make a sequel story, he could show Sasuke and Naruto living as a happy couple like Minakushi would’ve been if they got the chance to raise their son. So I don’t know why he he made the decision he did.

You are mistaken about many things and let me clear you up. And I hope you don't take my response in an offensive way but in a Constructive way...

Why Kishimoto made Sasuke as a boy when he has the traits of the heroine?

Firstly,

It was never about Representation. Not one bit.

From viewers' perspective.... I, You and probably everyone of us are happy that 3 LGBT couples got represented in a mainstream media like Naruto.

But from a Narrative perspective, it was never written by keeping Gay representation in the mind. It looks extremely personal and self-projective from the Author's side because of the way he handled their bond. SNS is the essence and foundation of this entire story unlike other Shonen media where the story was all about Worldly Affairs and Friendship.

If it was just about representation, then a Gay couple would've been made into a side pair just like they portray in every other mainstream media...

Representation is all about appeasing the minorities and bring them to watch/read that particular media by giving those characters some minor roles in it. You won't be seeing them playing a Major Plot-Dependent role and definitely Not as A PROTAGONIST AND DEUTERAGONIST.

Can you see Marvel will declare Captain America as a Gay??? Whereas they don’t mind making Loki as a Bisexual. because he is a Villain and not the MVP of Marvel Universe...

Of Course, Broke Back Mountain kind of movies has explicit Gay Characters but it’s not a Mainstream movie, is it???

So, Yes... Naruto was never about Representation at all.

Secondly,

If only Sasuke were a Girl... Then we wouldn't be saying that this is the greatest love story of all time. Instead we would just consider it as just another love story.

The reason being, Love that was shown between 2 boys in a way that could always have a certain Tenderness, Fragility, Frustration, Confusion, Yearning, Hesitation.... And all of these feelings could never be shown with the same intensity in a Hetero Romance.

In the Land of the waves, When Sasuke was about to die in Naruto's lap, the way Naruto holds Sasuke's face has certain tenderness... A care... He holds Sasuke like a fragile little eggshell.

Whereas after that Arc, they both pouts and can't even look at each other's eyes. They go back to play their rivalry games again.

If only Sasuke were a Girl... Romance would've been sealed by 35th chapter itself. Because some kind of confession happened between both of them, now they are feeling shy about it and that's enough to consolidate their Bond.

Whereas N and S (as a boy) needed 698 chapters to reciprocate their feelings and resolve their conflicts.

This Long Cat and Mouse game of Verifying, Reconfirming, Repressing, Deflecting feelings are what it made into a Great Love Story. You won’t see these tropes in a Hetero Romance... At the very least, you have misunderstanding, angst and star-crossed lovers trope in Hetero Romance. Have you ever seen A Boy wondering “I wonder I am a Brother to you” to the girl he loved Romantically??? Or at least having some confused feelings???

These are the scenes you could never employ in a Straight Romance. All these are what made you tell, ‘It’s the best love story’

Thirdly,

Even then, this Line you said in this Ask, Maybe he just didn’t intend for Naruto to become as popular as it did ...... It doesn’t make sense. Because, In this post, I talked about the Narrative decisions Kishimoto could’ve taken to make Naruto into a well-made Action Manga with best NH development right after the Pain Arc... And yet he refused to do it at every given chance.... Instead, he was mocking Hinata relentlessly.

Naruto was extremely popular around Pain Arc. Well, even before that, in 2002, the moment his Manga was approved for Anime rights, he knew that Naruto was starting to get popular Worldwide too. Kishi could’ve literally stopped his Gay Plot right around the time when Itachi came to the Village (Ch. 139). No one would’ve suspected anything, you know. But Instead of doing that, the show was getting more gayer and gayer.... He didn’t have to indulge the Audience starting from Chapter 3 till 699 even though he knew his manga was getting popular.

So, even after becoming Popular, that man never planned on to budge... Not even an Inch...

Finally,

The most important one...

“Why Kishimoto made Sasuke a boy when he has the traits of the heroine?” sounds wrong on some levels. Not accusing you, Anon.... because it may look like a harmless question from your side probably because you are unaware about the seriousness of this question....

You point is that “It’s a Love Story in a Ninja World... Love story can be told in many different ways... If Kishi knew SJ will never approve Gay Romance, why did he go for it???”

And If I put your question in this way like how you meant it to be... It might look okay....

But Let me put your question in another way...

“You know that your parents would never approve of a Boy from a Lower Clan... Why did you fall in love with him in the first place??? Instead you could fall in love from your own clan, right??? It’s best of both worlds.”

Do you understand the misguided thought behind this Question even though I know it was totally unintentional from your side???

My point is, Is there any need to have a reason for that Girl to fall in love with a Boy other than the fact that she loved something about him??? Does she really have to consider all the Societal Hierarchies that was set up by some fucking Asshole with no brains, all for what, for liking a boy???

Apply this same logic for people who love someone they are not supposed to because their society deems them as undesirables.... And then the society will ask them “Why do you love that undesirable person despite knowing the fact that we would never accept it?”

Does Love knows this kind of man-made division called Gender, Race, Skin Color, Religion or Clan????

Kishimoto knew all too well that he could never make N and S to end up together in a conventional sense... He knew SJ would never accept that kind of Ending... And yet he wrote about it because he simply wanted to... Just like that Girl kept on loving that Boy despite knowing her Parents would never accept him.... Love knows no Gender or at least that’s how it should be.

And also, this Question supports the idea that the Author did a mistake by not catering to the people who are Homophobic and instead of that, he could’ve took an Easy way... An Heteronormative Way.

The Author’s point is that, ‘I am going to write a Love Story between 2 Humans... And they are “between boys”. It’s up to the readers to accept it or reject it.. And I don’t give 2 dime about the readers’ opinions....’

So, Back to your question....

If Kishimoto couldn’t bring the story all the way to end.... Then Why did he do it???

Unpopular Answer... but supported by Canon.

Is there any need for all the Love stories that should have an Happy Ending by default???? Most of the best love stories ended up in a Bittersweet manner as well....

He clearly designed SNS as some Star-Crossed Lovers from the very beginning and it shows throughout the story... Like an Open Ending???

It’s not only with SNS... Any Good romance Kishi put his hands on, it always ends up being ill-fated. Like just when everything was going sooooo good.... that moron will find a way to split them in a dramatic fashion.

Starting from

Haku-Zabuza

They Lived together for so long and yet Haku never explicitly conveyed as to how he felt about Zabuza... And Zabuza acted like he only considered Haku as a tool but only in the verge of Death he conveyed about his true feelings....

Dan-Tsunade

Just before this day, She kissed Dan’s Forehead... And then the very next day this happened.

Minato-Kushina

You have no idea... How I cried here... I know this scene doesn’t represent exactly an Ill-Fated Lovers’ trope... But it shows An Imagination of Kushina with her Husband and Child that never came to reality.

Aaaaaand they died together as well.

Hashirama-Madara

They were together.... And they were about to realize their dream....

Then they broke up.....

Again they reached a common ground and got together....

But then they ended up fighting.... Betrayed each other....

Atlast they went to the Death Realm together....

Mario-Saori (From another Manga named Mario written by Kishimoto)

They Hated each other....

They Got together.....

And then Mario died....

Naruto-Sasuke

Started out as a seeming Hate... (Not really)

They got together.... They Became Friends......

But they got split.... ((This panel is actually the Essence and Symbolism of SNS))...

They always wanted to link their Hands Together as a ‘Seal of Reconciliation’.

But even that very hands were blown away.... In the end, they couldn’t touch their hands like they always wanted... Instead the Statues does the Seal of Reconciliation for them... (Depressing).

Anyways, they got together...

But then, they were made to get separated again....

And that’s why it’s very hard for me to believe if someone SERIOUSLY say that N and S should’ve ended up together but the Editors forced him to make an Hetero Ending.

Well, No.

That would have never happened... Even if the Author were allowed to have an open ending, he was always planned on making them as Star-Crossed People who could never be together physically but their bond continues no matter the Distance.... Until Death unites them together.

Even if you don’t want to take my words for it.... You could take the Author’s words, Right???

This is Chapter 181 Cover (Sakura’s confession chapter). It says,

“The Sky and Ocean which cannot be mixed, the two hearts which cannot be reconciled. It may have been inevitable from the start”

This Poster description is very similar to what I’ve explained before. Isn’t it??

But the Author didn’t actually stop here.

He went on to drop few hints about their bond in the Naruto First Artbook. What’s written here is literally the Author’s commentary on SNS.

It says,

“Here I intended to express, in one picture, the main theme of the story, that is the conflict between Sasuke and Naruto. Since they know each other very well, not even by pointing kunai at each other do they let hostility show through. They seem rather calm. I thought if I had given them an aggressive expression I would have betrayed the spirit of the manga. On the contrary I believe their apparent tranquility is more stunning. I put the sea silhouetted against the sky in the background to express the battle between the two and the differences between themselves. The green and the red—and the sea and the sky—represent what never mixes.“

“Never Mixes” is something he is enforcing repeatedly.

Especially the line, “I thought If I had given them an aggressive expression I would have betrayed the spirit of the Manga” says everything about SNS. It gels with this following panel about what The Author was saying here.... Doesn’t it???

They don’t have aggressive expression because they never hated each other... Instead they were showing their painful faces... Which indicates that they always wanted to be next to each other but circumstances don’t allow them to be.

It’s an inevitable tragedy that the author hinted from the very beginning. And If he knew he will make a story where those 2 people will never get together because of circumstances... Then I totally get why the Author would go for a non-heteronormative route because they wouldn’t get together anyway.

#narusasu #sasunaru #narusasunaru #sasunarusasu #sns #nsn #kishimoto #hashimada #zabuza x haku #mario #sasori #uzumaki naruto #uchiha sasuke #naruto #sasuke #naruto uzumaki #sasuke uchiha #masashi kishimoto

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sneezemonster15 · 3 years

Text

Calling bullshit on the opinion that Kishimoto doesn't know how to write romance.

The reason why this entire shipping business on Naruto has been going on for over a decade and still going strong, making fans go absolutely mindless, about a story which is not even about romance, about things that are so effective and impactful that the fans feel completely consumed with it, to the extent where they have almost completely defined their life and philosophies on its basis, is because Kishimoto can write a good fucking romance. And that's what he did. That's the reason why ships are fighting with each other, because it's not just about Naruto the manga or Naruto the series, it's about how they imagine their own romance, it's a deep, profound feeling. That's why they have strong motivations and convictions that drive their insight into the story. That's why there is so much polarity in Naruto fandom. They are ready to jump to protect their ship at a moment's notice because that's how much it means to them.

Are you telling me that it just happened on its own? Just happy coincidences and random factors?

No.

A lot, a lot of thought goes behind closed doors of the studios. I know this because I work in the business. The reason why I was so astounded with Naruto's story because it was actually a brave story. A brave concept. In a shonen. Because I am ready to bet a million dollars I don't have on the fact that Kishimoto knew what he was doing. Anyone who enjoys poetry, or literature, or drama can, if not approve, appreciate Naruto and Sasuke's story. Because it's that deep. Because it's that impactful. Because it's that dark. Because it's that tragic. Because it's that tender. Because it's that painful.

Because it's so...

(Applause.)

Romantic.

These are all the ingredients of a well written romance. This is the reason why I don't care about other ships because I know that SNS is not random or a projection. It's mindfully and carefully and even tenderly written and developed.

Kishimoto's projection? Oh sure. It stands to reason that someone from his real life affected and inspired his favourite character through and through. He did say that he based some characters on certain people from his own life. And he did base Naruto on his own self, if partly. And the reason why I am able to surmise that he could have had a real crush on someone like Sasuke in real life, is because how clearly and insightfully written and contrasted the two characters are. So nuanced. They are like poetry, that's why I am so dazzled with them. Their story is so beautifully shaped by their characters and growth that it creates a clear impression of who they really are in the story. Soulmates. That's the whole crux of the story. They are written out to be this literally 'once in several lifetimes' pairing that finally broke the bonds of hate with bonds of love and changed the entire world and as a result, grew themselves. This is reflected in themselves what with Sasuke being propelled with hate and Naruto with love and coming together finally in a world that they made happen, for each other. And all of their parts and counterparts with which they think and move and function are so well in sync with each other that they lock together perfectly, like two pieces in a two piece puzzle box.

To say that this intricately and intelligently and tenderly written story is just like, an accident, my lord no!

No. The content that is finally syndicated on screens all over the world, especially with the type of response Naruto has enjoyed, and believe me when I say this, everything goes through many levels of scrutiny during production; to the extent of why would this camera angle work better than all the other angles, here's a flowchart and analysis of all of them and let's spend three days on deciding it while the producers are going crazy frustrated with fanatic creatives. This is a very common thing to happen in most serious studios.

Naruto stood out at the time it came out and reached a much larger audience for several reasons. But one of them was that it got the right exposure and was shown to critics outside of Japan, who could appreciate and admire it's cinematic beauty and this reached a different subset of audience. This extra effort is not consistent but it shines at so many places, because it's just good storytelling technically and aesthetically. And the reason why Naruto and Sasuke stand smack dab in the middle of that storytelling, is because Kishimoto told their story with so much feeling, it literally shows. The nuance is just crazy. Note that I am saying nuance and not subtext, even though it's there in heaps. But I want to make a distinction clearly. Like I can write pages and pages over it. Anyway, their story stands out because the nuances are so well defined and mindfully drawn by Kishi, that one can't help but wonder if Kishi actually experienced them. And they are just small things but still get a lot of exposure in the manga and anime. And because they are so small but clearly noticeable, it makes us stop in our tracks and think. And the thing is Kishimoto could have easily done without them and it would have made everything still seem undisturbed but he chose Not to. That kind of decision is a direct result of deep understanding, feeling and thinking in terms of forming a certain visual approach and meaning. The visual language Kishi has used to show their chemistry, their bond, their need for each other, is so tangible, like you could cut it with a knife, that it makes one feel something is right below the surface, simmering and about to explode, but you can't put your finger on what it exactly is. Until you start to think. And it takes some time.

You think that kind of writing is random? Are you out of your mind?

No, Kishi is a maniac. He pulled something that was not easy at all. He is a genius. He is also sadistic because he knows he didn't give us a resolution. Resolution is cathartic to viewers and the reason that nobody got any with Naruto and still not getting any from Boruto is making everyone go crazy. Fifteen years is a long time man. And I can bet my other non existent one million dollars on it. He owns a lot of rights over Naruto franchise, I don't think he can be cowed down to such an extent even by the studio. Kishi fought studios for a few significant scenes of Naruto and Sasuke, he is not unfeeling about them.

Maybe I am being a mere deductionist but more often than not, deduction is right. It's a valid form of acquiring knowledge. Sherlock is right more times than he is not.

Anyway, my point is, Kishi can write romance. Kishi can write very good romance. He could have chosen to remove some tropes and make Naruto and Sasuke either just brotherly or friendly. But he chose not to. A lot of people think that they are platonic. And I think I know why. But I don't. They are not platonic. They seem like they feel physically aware of each other, acutely so. they just don't know what it is. Maybe Sasuke does, Naruto doesn't. Kishi used also such common tropes to show this element, but just because it is in shonen and between two boys, y'all won't believe it. Don't you feel that palpable feeling, the simmering tension and emotion when they fight at the valley of the end both times? And it makes you think maybe it's just you, and what you are thinking can't be true because this is shonen and it would mean they are gay, let me tell you, no it's not you. It is Kishi. And it takes skill to write. Something like this is almost always used as a trope of unaddressed sexual tension in media. Pick any romantic drama of this genre, where 'hate turned to love' or 'two unlikely people who fall in love' and you would find it in almost every single one of them.

Why do you think Kishi designed it that way? You think with all the detail (action moves are literally inspired by real life martial arts, lighting, sound, editing, dialogues that sound like out of a Bronte novel), that was him just playing innocent?

No. No. No. And No!

He wrote SNS throughout Naruto and Shippuden and is still doing something of an extension of it that has made Boruto a weird and uncomfortable to watch family drama.

#sns #sns in boruto #sasunarusasu #sasunaru #sasuke #naruto uzumaki #narusasu #naruto analysis #kishimoto why

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kacchanori · 4 years

Text

—You often go to the Sakanoshita Store for one reason and one reason only: to see the handsome fake blond owner. You don’t even live near the store.

☆ pairing: coach keishin ukai x reader

☆ genre: fluff

☆ word count: 2.4k

☆ warnings: language, smoking, awkward pining (mostly from reader)

a/n: ok literally no words can describe how much i love this man. i think he deserves the world to have more stuff written about him so here i am with a fanfic of my own

“How did my life come to this?”

Ah, yes. A question that everyone would ask at some point in their lives. As for you, that point in time was now.

You stood in front of big glass doors, gaze fastened on the store’s banner that bore the characters for “Sakanoshita Market.” The golden sun above blanketed you in warmth and tiny beads of sweat lined your forehead. You stretched each of your legs, having had just walked twenty minutes to get to the store. There was no doubt that they would become sore again when you head home. After all, your house resided uphill past Karasuno High School. Every time you went home after a trip to the store, your legs would ache but you noticed that after each trip, it became a little more bearable.

For a few weeks now, you had been dropping by Sakanoshita Store twice to three times a week and at different times of the day. It started after a night out with your friends; after a few hours of laughter and singing at the karaoke bar, you and your friends strolled down the streets of Torono, a place that you admittedly didn’t frequent unless you visited your friends. When several stomachs grumbled, the only store close enough to satisfy your group of friends’ hunger was Sakanoshita Store.

And there, you had the pleasure of briefly meeting the fake-blond owner of the store. In true disinterested-store-owner fashion, he had sat behind the counter, smoking a cigarette and flipping through pages of a Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, leaving you and your friends to your own devices. You’d browsed around the shop, periodically glancing at him until your friends were ready to pay for the steamed buns they decided on.

At the time, the only words exchanged were about the price of the steamed buns and the change. Nevertheless, the lack of communication didn’t stop you from developing an attraction to the man, and it certainly did not stop your friends from teasing you about it once you left the store and were out of earshot.

You’d scoffed and denied your friends’ teasing then, but here you were now, standing in front of the very same store so early on a weekend. You didn’t even live near the store and, in fact, there were several stores much closer to your house.

But unlike the Sakanoshita Store, they didn’t have a handsome owner who slicked his fake blond hair back with a headband.

You slid the glass door open and stepped inside the store. Immediately, cool air waved against your skin. You wiped the sweat off your forehead and smiled at the high school boys gathered and seated around the table. Those that noticed your arrival offered a polite smile while the rest scarfed down on steamed buns and bickered, earning a small chuckle from you. You had seen the boys a couple of times that you’d become a bit familiarized with them.

“Hey, keep the noise down!” the store-owner—whose name, you later found out from one of your friends who lived in the area, was Keishin Ukai (even his name sounded attractive)—yelled at the kids. Like the first time you saw him, he was reading a Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. He laid back on his chair with his feet on the counter, but upon seeing you he let his legs drop to the ground. You smiled at him and pretended to browse around the store.

Sometimes you would browse up and down the short aisles, every so often letting your eyes fall on the counter then quickly ripping your gaze away before anyone noticed. Other times you would remain at the end of an aisle, pretending to read the labels and nutrition facts of snacks while looking at Keishin Ukai from your peripheral vision. But you would always end up coming to the counter and requesting a bag of steamed buns because you couldn’t leave without getting something. Today’s routine was no different, except you had actually picked up a few essentials while you were at it.

“Would that be all for you?” Ukai asked.

“Yes, that’s all.” Your voice came out quieter than you anticipated.

“That would be ¥1,500.” You scrambled to find your wallet and handed off the money to him. “Here’s your change,” he said and handed it off to you along with your bagged items and steamed buns.

“Thank you.” You bowed and prepared to leave.

“Come again soon!” he called after you and you turned around. He was looking at you and smiling.

“Oh, y-yes,” you said, stumbling over your words. Your cheeks heat up as you hurried out of the store.

Goodness, you were hopeless.

The next time you made a trip to Sakanoshita Store, the sky was starting to dim and lights around the neighborhood illuminated the streets. Like the last time, there were quite a few high school boys seated around the table, their mouths stuffed with steamed buns, and their notebooks sprawled across the surface. Unlike the last time, they seemed not to have noticed your presence as you walked inside the store. Ukai was not at his usual spot behind the counter, either. You frowned, disappointment bubbling in you as you made your way at the end of an aisle where the boys could not see you.

You began to grab a couple of snacks and drinks for your food stash at home when you overheard a conversation among the boys.

“I wonder when that person is coming back,” one of the boys pondered out loud.

“Who?” one of them asked.

“The one that keeps coming here to buy steamed buns.” Your ears perked up. Paranoia told you that the person they were talking about was you.

There was a sound of the door creaking and footsteps blending in with the boys’ chatter, but you were so out of sight that you didn’t know what was happening.

“Yo Coach!” one of the boys with a boisterous voice yelled.

“What?” You stopped moving. That was Ukai’s voice.

“I think that person has a crush on you!”

“Who?”

“The steamed bun person! I bet they come here just to see you!”

“Tanaka might be right. I was biking once and I saw that they live in another neighborhood. There are a few convenience stores around that neighborhood too and yet they come here.” You paled upon hearing them blatantly expose you.

“Looks like you have an admirer, eh coach?” one of the previous speakers teased.

“Would you keep it down!” Ukai yelled but he only received teasing in response. From your end, you could hear some of the boys scolding the others. “Hey, no noise in my store or I’m kicking you all out!”

Well, shit, you panicked and began thinking of ways to get out of the store without anyone seeing you. But the plain truth was that there was no way you could get out without being seen. You breathed in and breathed out, clutched onto the snacks that you picked, and prepared for a walk of shame to the counter.

The boys quieted down once you were in their line of sight. You avoided looking at them and instead kept your eyes down. You could feel blood rushing to your cheeks as you set down the snacks on the counter. The time seemed to go by painstakingly slow as Ukai rang up the items in the cash register. He cleared his throat and you brought out your wallet. Before he could even tell you the total price, you’d already placed a large bill on the counter.

“Right. That would be ¥2,120 and here is your change,” he said and handed the change and the bags off to you.

You squeaked out a “thank you” and raced out of the store faster than anyone could react.

After that fateful visit to Sakanoshita Store, you avoided setting foot into the neighborhood. The local convenience stores around your own neighborhood had actually started seeing you more than they had in the last few weeks. All because you were too flustered and didn’t want to risk seeing your crush who apparently now knew your feelings for him.

Besides, you had become busy within the last few weeks. Days somehow felt shorter and didn’t allow you that extra hour you had dedicated to walking to and from your house and the store.

At least, that was what you allowed yourself to believe.

The sky had fallen to dusk, shrouding the neighborhood in darkness. Stars peeked at you from the sky and winked, and the moon shone bright silver, serene against the sky. Tonight, you were walking along the streets of the very neighborhood you had been avoiding, exhausted from a night out at one of your friends’ house. The streets were silent save for the chittering of bugs, but soon, a grumble from your stomach pierced the quiet scene.

You looked ahead of you. The street lights illuminated the banner of the very store they had been avoiding. The gentle glow of the lights was coaxing you to come inside the store. For a few minutes you debated whether to come in for a steamed bun or two or suck it up and go home, but your stomach answered for you.

“There’s no way I’m cooking when I get home,” you said to yourself and trudged toward the store’s entrance. When you stepped foot into the store, Ukai was once again behind the counter. He had his back to you and he seemed to be keeping himself busy with another Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. You took your eyes off him and eyed the steamed buns in the countertop food warmer.

Mustering up your courage, you walked up to the counter. “Excuse me,” you said, trying to catch the store owner’s attention. He turned his head to look at you and you swore that the store suddenly became scorching hot.

“Could I please get two steamed buns?” you said, trying not to stammer. Your cheeks and neck grew warm.

Ukai stood up effortlessly and set his magazine down. Not a few minutes later, he already had two steamed buns bagged for you to take out. “You know,” he said, “I’ve been waiting for you to show up. You mostly come at night, don’t you? I made sure the boys didn’t take all the steamed buns.”

He was making conversation with you, and not only that—he was implying that he had been thinking of you. You didn’t think it was possible for your face to grow even hotter.

“O-oh? Thank you,” you said and cleared your throat, “that’s very considerate of you.” Calm down calm down calm down.

He scratched the back of his head and handed you the bag. You looked at him. “Oh, uh, how much is my total?” you asked after a few moments.

“It’s on the house.”

“Really?” you asked, to which he nodded. “Thank you! Uh, I should get going . . . it’s getting pretty late.”

“Huh? Oh, that’s right. You don’t live nearby either.” He glanced outside before looking back at you and smiling. “Come again soon, though.”

You only returned his smile, albeit an awkward one, and walked out of the store. You made it a few steps before stopping. From what happened on your last visit, he basically already knew that you had a crush on him. Could you really keep going to the same convenience store when your feelings were so out in the open?

You turned around and started walking back to the Sakanoshita Store. Farewell, handsome store owner. This will be the last time I come here. You slid the door open a little and called out to him. “Hey, uh, about what the boys were talking about last time . . . they weren’t wrong. That’s all!” You closed the door and ran off.

“Hey, wait!” a voice called out to you as footsteps thumped against concrete. You stopped running and whipped your head towards him.

Ukai was chasing after you and easily catching up. “Man, you sure can run!” he said when he reached you.

“Wait, what about your store?” was the first thing that came out of your mouth.

He let out a laugh. “You’re worried about that? My ma’s taking care of it. It’s about time my shift ends anyway.” Once he calmed down, he turned his full attention to you. “Did you really bolt without hearing my reply?”

“Well . . . yes?”

Ukai took off his headband, ran his fingers through his hair, and put it back on. Your breath got caught in your throat for the whole duration. Ukai scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Look, sorry about the boys, I told them not to mention it anymore.”

You bit the inside of your cheek. “Well, no one’s stopping them . . . it just so happened that I was there to hear it, so it was kind of embarrassing.”

“Yeah, it must’ve been,” he said. “To be fair, you’re not the only one embarrassed. I’d say if you didn’t come out, you would’ve found out that I feel the same way about you.”

Your heart stopped. “I’m sorry, what?”

Ukai put his hands into the pockets of his pants. You noted that he still had his store apron on. “You know, other than coaching the Karasuno volleyball team, I’ve been really looking forward to your visits. The volleyball brats caught wind of it and made it a mission to talk about you whenever they’re over at the store. Anyway, what I’m saying is that—” his cheeks reddened “—I’d like to get to know you more. If that’s alright with you, of course.”

“That’s . . . that’s more than alright!” you blurted out, not being able to help yourself.

Ukai smiled and moved closer. “Well, for starters, my name is Keishin Ukai.”

“Y/n l/n,” you replied, flustered at how close the two of you were. True, you had stood close to him before, but there was always a counter in between the two of you.

Ukai gestured at your bag of steamed buns. “Are you sure that will fill you up?”

Your stomach grumbled. He chuckled as blood rushed to your cheeks. “I’m not sure.”

“If that’s the case, I know a really good restaurant nearby.” Ukai offered you a hand. “It’s kind of last-minute but would you like to have a late dinner with me?”

You smiled at him and took his hand. “Of course! Lead the way.”

#haikyuu fanfic #haikyuu x reader #coach ukai x reader #coach ukai fanfic #ukai #keishin ukai x reader #ukai keishin x reader

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dokifluffs · 4 years

Text

Best Friends | Hinata, Tendo, Bokuto + Akaashi

Pairings (not really couples tho): Hinata X Reader (gender neutral), Tendo X Reader (gender neutral), and Bokuto + Akaashi X Reader (gender neutral)

Genre: best friends!!

Author’s Note: literally not even a request but all inspired by an anonnie who said “just a thought, Hinata does this thing where he befriend quiet people and makes them talk about him. That's just how interesting he is,” so whoever you are, wherever you are anonnie, thanks 😌

Hinata:

Being best friends with this ball of sunshine meant endless possibilities

There was never a bland day whenever it was spent with him

If you were also interested in volleyball, he would love you til the end of time. The two of you and Kageyama were a mini trio but also duos with mixed combos of you and hinata, hinata and kageyama, and kageyama and you

Tsukishima and a few others on the team couldn’t understand how you were able to stay with them for so long

You were the brains of the three of you, which amazed everyone further of how you weren’t losing your brain cells by breathing the same air/ standing by them for so long

But the antics never stopped

Hinata’s eyes were always sparkling and his mind was so open to everything

You go to taste more life and experience so many more things with Hinata’s encouragement, keeping his promise to stay by your side through it all

You went to all the games you could and cheered him on, being a beacon of recharge and happiness when things seemed the most bleak in life or during a game

One of his favorite things to go with you were go on late night meat bun runs, especially on chilly winter evenings with the sky clear, a cool breeze that nipped at your skin

Eating the hot buns went perfectly after practices

Speaking of after practices and also life outside of school, his sister loved you

She looked up to you like an older sibling and whenever you came over to his house to help him study or just hang out, she was glued to your hip which was fine to both of you

Conversations could last for hours between the two of you but he also understood the times where you just needed the world to close for a bit or if you needed a break- he would always be there for you when you were finished

Yachi and you were also super close, bonding over tutoring hinata and kageyama so they could actually be able to play in games and go to training camps and etc.

He introduced you to so many new people from all over, especially Nekoma

Kenma and You bonded really quick as well over the topic of Hinata and from there, interests and hobbies outside of volleyball and such became topics of conversation

Throughout high school til he left for South America, the two of you spent every summer together for great periods of time, it was really common for his and your family to think you two were a couple but really you two were just super close friends like siblings

Seeing him on a bigger stage, you two were still close even though you two didn’t see each other everyday but there was mutual effort being put in when it came to hanging out

You were one of his many number one supporters from practically the beginning and he was so grateful to have you in his life

Tendo: aka best boi

You two were like partners in crime and people saw the two of you and ushijima like a trio with iconic duo mixes

At first, he held back just a bit on his sarcasm but as the two of you got closer, you two were crackheads

He loved your sense of humor and how it felt so natural for him when the two of you talked about anything- whether it be a heart to heart or a joke, anything. He felt so secure compared to his childhood

He loved how easy it was to talk to you

Meeting him around the end of middle school and the two of you going into high school together was like floating on a cloud for him

He was really able to open up and you were able to help him embrace who he was. He was no longer a monster people feared as a person, only in game as a block monster

You were one of the loudest cheerer’s for him in the crowd, always able to find you somewhere in the front row and throwing a peace sign to you with a bright smile, feeling ecstatic

Back toward the beginning, before high school, the two of you prepped for the entrance exam for Shiratorizawa at each other’s houses pretty regularly and it paid off, both doing equally well and being accepted

Lunches together were basically a must, joined in with Ushijima and sometimes other members of the team and other friends

Got somewhat distracted whenever you showed up to practices but it also gave him a little boost to show you what he could do

He was a strong player on the team and you knew it. His entire persona changed once he was on the court and seeing the opponents being blocked by Satori was like a stroke to your pride knowing that he was your best friend and he just shut the other team out

This mans a weeb too. In college, where you two also went together, alongside Ushijima, you two would frequent the bookstore pretty often, buying some mangas, getting chocolate ice cream afterward

It was like an unspoken tradition that you two go at least once a month. Though, sometimes he would go a bit more since he shared his shonen jumps with Ushi, lending it to him

Movie nights were also a thing whenever the two (three if Ushi didn’t have practice or anything too) during the weekends, but they weren’t pretty common

Horror movies didn’t feel like horror movies with the commentary Satori made as well as your add-ons that made the horror-thrillers into comedies

Although he seems like someone who teases and makes jokes often, he had one of the biggest hearts

He was always one of the first shoulders you cried on, always there and listening to you intently or just being by your side

His teases and jokes with you were always said with a light heart, meant to get just a bit under your skin

But if things ever got too far, he apologized and made sure you were okay or whoever he teased

You were one of the greatest people in his life and he didn’t want to lose you

Bokuto + Akaashi:

Any combination of the three of you was a literal, living example of buy one get two free asjkhasdj

If Bokuto was somewhere, everyone could expect to find you and Akaashi somewhere close, If Akaashi was somewhere, bokuto and you trailed behind not to far off but he kept a close eye on you, and finally if you were somewhere, Bokuto was sure to follow with Akaashi following him

It surprised people more if one was somewhere and the other two weren’t

Since Akaashi was officially the calm, cool, collected brain of the three of you and Bokuto was the wild and crazy one with a very peculiar way of thinking and acting, you were like a perfect mix of them

To Akaashi, you were sometimes a second child like Bokuto but you were just as intellectual as he was, sometimes even more

Basically, you acted and sometimes did things like Bokuto but you had the mentality of Akaashi that was also mixed with Bokuto

You met Akaashi in your class and not too far along the way, Bokuto appeared the the three of you clicked

You were pretty impressed when you learned they were on the Fukurodani VBC together

Your praises for Bokuto and your presence during games were a blessing, especially when you saw first-hand Bokuto’s emo modes

It didn’t take you long to pick up the 37 different weaknesses after you asked Akaashi what happened during one of the sets of the recent game

You became one of the managers alongside Yukie and Kaori, quickly befriending them and it was so ideal since if no one could bring Bokuto out of his mode during the game, you were last one that could

During summers, going to the festivals and street markets were a must

Akaashi had to refrain the two of you from blowing all your money playing the vendors’ games but there was no stopping the three of you when it came to buying onigiris

Especially what was known as the golden onigiris that were only sold for a couple days while the festival was up and they are only here for a year round

As a thank you to Akaashi, you and bokuto got together to make special onigiris and going grocery shopping with bokuto, you understood what Akaashi went through

You all spent holidays together like Christmas and special events like birthdays, exchanging gifts, going out to eat, and etc.

But the three of you were all best friends, protagonists of the world and there wasn’t any force that could change that. No matter the distance, the time in between, you were all protagonists

Bonus: Akaashi once walked in on you, Bokuto, and Kuroo having a competition with who could fit the most grapes into their mouth and he didn’t even react. he just sighed asdlkajsd

~~~~~ Thanks for reading! Masterlist for more! Please do not repost anywhere else!

Tags (let me know if you wanna be tagged for all my haikyuu posts): @yams046 @mazey-chan @sunboikyo00 @kara-grayson04 @fortheloveofbakugo @tsumtsumsemi @osamuonigiri @sam-ate-giorno @1-800-wholesome @realityisoftendisapointing@plantisnotplant @k-eijiakaashi @pink-panda-pancakes @differentballooncollection

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telehxhtrash · 4 years

Note

hii,,,,,,,,,, i know that hunterpedia isnt canon to the storyline but killua and gon literally kissed on it like twice and some ppl INSIST its platonic. like yes,, there can be platonic kisses,, BUT. i do not think after all the work togashi has put into making killua’s feelings towards gon so subtle they would just;; add that in for no reason

Hi anon! I can’t thank you for this ask enough because I was looking for an excuse to make a post about it but couldn’t find one so THANK YOU!!

ok first of all quick parenthesis but i’ve seen so many people say that “even if they kissed it could be platonic” like. funny how that argument is only used for same-gender pairings and people never say a straight kiss is platonic. when you look at it with this mindset, everything can be platonic. kissing, hand holding, sex, marriage. that’s why context and subtext is important, and that’s why togashi is going out of his way to provide us with very emotional scenes (like killua comparing gon to light itself, him saying he wants to commit lovers’ suicide, gon saying that he’s really glad he met killua out of the blue while blushing, and many, many others) to back us up on the fact that if they kissed, it’d definitely be because they’re in love with each other.

OK now onto the real part of my post HAHA

I think it’s extremely telling that both the 1999 and 2011 anime adaptations emphasize on the gay content.

1999 is........ extremely gay. Like there’s no other words. The “Ohayou” opening and the “Do You Feel Like I Feel” ending have romantic lyrics over visuals that are just. gay. Like. Just look at this.

i can’t find a version with the RIGHT lyrics but "koibito datari tomodachi de itaikara” literally means “because i want to to be your lover and your friend”

and this ending is just. peak gay. the visuals are gay. and the lyrics are stuff like :

like man. they didnt have to go this hard. those songs were specifically written for hxh btw. like, they didn’t exist before. they were commissioned for the show. just so that’s clear.

Throw in the incredible amount of subtext and gay moments in the show itself, like this for example. 1999 version is drowning in gay subtext.

But why ? You don’t randomly decide to turn an anime gay ?? especially when at the time the anime came out, there was literally no subtext between either Leorio/Kurapika or Killua and Gon. Like, none.

We talked about it with @/reeeyachi, and I really, really believe that Togashi told them where the story was headed. Like, he straight off the bat told them “these two pairings will be canon by the end of the manga”. Reeya explained that at some point, they had to ask Togashi for his opinion on the plot before animating, so Togashi was definitely involved in the show to some extent (and i also found canon confirmation that he was involved btw, picture below). They probably presented their general idea, and Togashi approved. Which leaves two options : either Togashi found it funny that they interpreted the story as having gay undertones when it has none and let them do whatever they wanted, or he specifically told them straight off the bat that his manga was going to be queer. The first option is highly unlikely to me, considering that in the end, canon material has even more gay subtext than 1999. It only leaves the latter option. That’s the only logical explanation for why 1999 went absolutely crazy with the gay content : Togashi must’ve told them.

And okay, let’s assume that 1999 was a fever dream. Let’s assume that it’s not an accurate representation of the spirit of HxH at all.

We still got 2011 version, which focuses heavily on Killua and Gon’s relationship, and emphasizes the gay aspect of their relationship too. Not only did the 2011 emphasize the cute heartfelt moments between the both of them, they also added a few moments, like for example that scene on Greed Island where Killua looks at Gon with heart eyes and doesn’t say anything for like 3 seconds because he’s awestruck. (let’s not mention all the times when they made Killua look at Gon with a pure look of love on his face)

Let’s also throw in Yuzu’s ending songs, especially Nagareboshi Kirari that’s just. A fucking love song. And this song was commissioned for HxH once again, the song uses male pronouns and Yuzu said that they wrote the song after their interpretation of their reading of the Chimera Ant Arc.

And like you said, the Hunterpedias !

I often hear dudebros say that “HxH 2011 was made by shippers and doesn’t represent canon material”. But isn’t it weird that the entire cast of HxH 2011 agreed on emphasizing the gay subtones of HxH ? Like, it’s not just one animator. It’s all the crew that worked on the anime adaptation. From the director to the animators. The majority had to agree to highlight this, it’s not just the decision of one person.

And that brings me to my last point. I might be talking out of my ass, but I feel like it’s mostly general knowledge in Japan that HxH is queer work. I feel like it’s linked to the cultural subtext that we don’t have but that definitely echoes with the japanese audience and leads them to think that HxH is queer work. I’m mostly thinking about Killua’s story echoing Tanabata, the “Killua ja nakya dame nan da”, the “shinjuu” line, etc. All of these don’t ring the same way to our ears, because we don’t have the cultural upbringing or context. But it makes sense for the japanese audience to hear the word “shinjuu” and immediately realize that “oh, that’s a romantic word. Killua must love Gon”.

I feel like that explains why not one, but the TWO anime adaptations decided to go apeshit with the gay content. It’d explain why “the 2011 anime crew are shippers”, why Yuzu wrote a love song as an ending, why the Hunterpedias feature kisses.

Either it’s mostly clear for Japanese people that HxH is queer and represents a love story, or Togashi directly told the anime adaptation crew. I personally think it’s a mix of both tbh : Togashi probably never intended to hide that his story was queer from either Shonen Jump or the 1999 crew and probably told them straight off the bat, and the subtext rings louder for Japanese speakers, which emphasizes it even more.

One thing’s certain. You don’t randomly make an anime gay for the sake of being gay. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve never heard of any other manga being randomly turned gay in the anime adaptation.

And at the end of the day, the canon material features a LOT of gay subtones, so I think it truly emphasizes that at least, 1999 version HAD to know where the story was headed, and decided to overplay it because they knew that at the end of the manga they’d be canon. Because Togashi probably let them know.

(man i feel like im a delusional shipper typing this LMFAO - but like thats really my take on it. i definitely think SJ knows that hxh is queer, and i feel like togashi had to let 1999 crew know too. it’d make sense. u don’t pull gay content out of ur ass for the fun of it. especially since there was no gay content at the time, until later where togashi put a shitton of gay subtext -like, 1999 had to know in advance. ++ add all the cultural nuances like i said - itd make sense for japanese people to realize that yes, hxh features a gay love story. to me thats why both the entire crews of 1999 + 2011 are “shippers”)

#ask #meta #my meta #i feel like im pulling stuff out of my ass tbh LMFAO #like i have 0 way to know if thats true #but i feel like 1999 had to know #and i feel like most japanese people know bc the subtext is heavier for them #idk man #pls correct me if im wrong #killugon

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recentanimenews · 3 years

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FEATURE: The Specific Thrill Of Villain Groups In One Piece

There's a certain feeling that occurs when a new villainous team emerges in an anime. Shonen fans know it well. You look at the line-up: there's often a leader, a silent heavy, a flamboyant wildcard, a femme fatale, a dedicated henchman, a fickle underling, and all other manner of role and trope. You take stock of their personalities, their powers, their capabilities as both a combatant and a member of the team — and you take the exact same look at the members of the protagonist's team. That's when you have the beautiful thought that truly sets the sails of the imagination as far as predicting battle anime is concerned: Who is gonna fight who?

As we've entered the raid on Onigashima, it's a thought that many One Piece fans have had. You have the Straw Hats and their allies, and then you have Kaido, Big Mom, the Beast Pirates, and all manner of menacing foes tailor-made to square off against them in a series of hyped-up one-on-one matches. It's such a common occurrence in One Piece that fans are already predicting how it will go down after the dust of the battle for Wano's fate has cleared. From the second Blackbeard's crew appeared in Marineford, fresh out of their shackles at Impel Down, the second thought you have after "Oh, dang. Blackbeard is here, too?" is "How are they gonna get paired off with the Straw Hats?" It's the Grand Line fighting equivalent of a grade school dance. You're sitting on the sidelines, waiting for your time to shine, and then a Straw Hat member comes up to you, takes you by the hand, pulls you onto the dance floor, and kicks the heck out of you.

The first major instance of this in One Piece was Arlong Park, though the arcs before it definitely had different pirates squaring off as Luffy took on the leader. However, Arlong Park very neatly sets up the eventual clash, down to the fact that there are four people on each side willing to fight at the end. Luffy takes Arlong, Zoro takes the swordsman Hatchan, Ussop takes on Choo because he's a marksman and Choo spits, and since Kuroobi is wearing a gi, he's a natural fit to throw some kicks at Sanji.

The war with Baroque Works in Alabasta is perhaps the most famous example of it, giving every single Straw Hat the fight of their life at that point. It's one of the reasons Alabasta is held in such high regard to this day. Often an arc won't necessarily provide a specific bout for each character but rather gives them an important thing to do. They might be involved in taking out waves of minor enemies or performing some espionage plans that help the team out later. Not the case in Alabasta. Every Straw Hat is put through the wringer, testing their resilience almost as if the narrative is asking if they're strong enough to continue in it and make it back to their friends.

Skypiea, Enies Lobby (which includes the iconic scene of the Straw Hats facing down CP9 from opposing towers), and even Thriller Bark, include variations of it. When the team reunites before heading to Fishman Island, the triumphant moment is centered around each Straw Hat getting to show off their increased strength and strategy against the New Fishmen. Considering that Luffy spent the last few arcs in a mad dash to rescue his brother, an attempt that was tragically unsuccessful, the Team vs Team fight in the Fishman Island arc is battle-centric proof that Luffy's desire to live for his friends was well-founded. There is celebration to be found in the win over Hody Jones and his group, but the true victory comes from the image of the Straw Hats reconvened.

It's powerful enough that it marked the end of Episode 1000 before setting each Straw Hat off toward their particular mission or encounter. It's this acknowledgment of the potency of the Straw Hats as a group that ultimately makes these one-on-one fights that litter the climaxes of the arcs so satisfying. You have the captain, the swordsman, the cook, the sharpshooter, the navigator, the doctor, the archaeologist, the shipwright, the musician, and the helmsman — and as you see the villains unveiled — you create match-ups in your mind for what would be the coolest or the most fulfilling. The end goal of the fight isn't winning, it's standing shoulder to shoulder with your crew that's your reward.

Daniel Dockery is a Senior Staff Writer for Crunchyroll. Follow him on Twitter!

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features.

By: Daniel Dockery

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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clownao · 3 years

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I think about Okajima’s crush on Hayami a bit too much. Because you won’t expect him to like her, and it’s very interesting because so far, Okajima’s been established as a pervert. But this crush kinda proves that he’s not only a pervert?

(Keep in mind that my personal interpretation/ headcanon of Okajima is that he wants to be funny and accepted, that’s why he adopted the pervert persona (and it’s Matsui’s way of including perverted comic relief tbh). I don’t like how he’s consistently a pervert throughout the series (lack of character growth) but I kinda blame that on shonen tropes. If you don’t like him because he’s creepy, that’s okay.)

So Okajima likes big boobs. One would assume he would like Yada (I feel like he probably lusted after her at one point even as a gag) but no, it’s Hayami. Hayami, who isn’t even on the Kyoto girls ranking (I found out the “future beauty” is Hara, which is literally the only decent contribution I made during my early tumblr years). I don’t think I’ve seen Okajima call her pretty or anything despite being pretty vocal on his option of girls (he called her a tsundere though), so he might not be as shallow as he looks?

Hayami’s personality is also not what you expect Okajima’s crush to be. She’s serious, stoic, to-the-point unlike Okajima who ALWAYS gets distracted by his horniness. Like, you would expect the energetic and optimistic Okajima to like someone more outgoing (eg. Kurahashi), but maybe opposites do attract? Lmao.

And I’m pretty sure Hayami is... aloof towards him because he’s a pervert and he sits next to her. She disapproves of him and he has basically zero chances with her. Apparently “she shoots down all of Okajima's dirty jokes with a coolheaded gaze” and she really wants to talk to Kanzaki, but never did because Okajima sits between them (tfw you don’t even want to walk pass the class pervert).

BUT maybe that’s why?? Since Okajima apparently believes she’s a “tsundere” after her “don’t get the wrong idea” comment. So if Hayami is aloof towards him (and. basically a lot of people), he thinks she might like him?? But throughout the entire series it’s never been hinted, their only interaction I remember is the 7 years later scene when they fix the roof together (and that’s pretty irrelevant to a middle school crush unless you’re like Kayano and simply Can’t Get Over It).

But one interesting thing is that they’re in the same friend group:

A) They sit next to each other

B) Group 2 dynamics / same science group

C) Okajima is Chiba’s spotter, Hayami’s friends with Chiba

Thus the following:

So even if Hayami doesn’t like Okajima, they have a lot of opportunities to interact, which is probably why Okajima likes her in the first place?

... Chiba is sorta the middleman between the two, being friends with both of them. BUT it’s been made clear that Koro + some members of the class (eg. Maehara) ship the snipers, and Okajima is probably aware of the close bond (which may or may not be romantic) between the snipers

They were on the same side during Civil War, and Okajima + Chiba and Itona + Hayami worked in pairs (although Itona wasn’t much of a spotter, just a guard of sorts). This is expected because Okajima and Chiba are work buddies. But... imagine if Okajima survived the initial Kanzaki attack. Would Karma also order him to act as Hayami’s spotter because he’s familiar with the job? (Note: Hayami’s usual spotter is Fuwa) Or would Karma just go “Okajima with girls? Nope”?

Anyways I have a lot of thoughts about this, and I still don’t know why he likes her lol. Is the tsundere gag really that strong when she’s not even a tsundere? Is this just a gag, Matsui? But if it’s just a gag, why not make him like Yada since pretty much everyone expects it? Why Hayami? Why someone so indifferent to Okajima?

All the other crushes make kinda sense. Kayano, Nakamura and Kanzaki (kinda) have all interacted with Nagisa, and Kayano and Nakamura’s feelings are made obvious within the manga. Okano and Maehara have a whole ass arc. Kimura’s crush on Kurahashi makes sense despite it not being mentioned (they sit next to each other, Group 1 kids, also their personalities kinda mesh). Mimura and Yoshida, the quiet-ish kids, have crushes on the class idol Kanzaki. These all make sense. The people that are crushed on (Nagisa, Maehara, Kurahashi, Kanzaki) are all cute/good looking, friendly, sweet, etc.

But Hayami?

Hayami’s not known for all that. And especially NOT towards Okajima.

So either Okajima has a serious misinterpretation of Hayami’s “tsundereness” or he genuinely likes her for something else... hmm...

#assassination classroom #ansatsu kyoushitsu #hayami rinka #Okajima taiga #can I crack ship them? lol #okahaya uwu #or hayajima #fuck knowing me I’ll prob start shipping for real

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oddone95 · 4 years

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The Cycle of Hatred in Naruto fandom.

Ok, so I just wanted to write a little post on why this fandom (Naruto fandom that is) needs to chill and stop hating on each other so much. But first, let’s get clear in our minds that “Naruto” is a business franchise, and the goal of any business venture is to earn 💰. Earn money by evoking emotions in you. Now that this is clear, let’s move on. This will be a short (not rant) but rather advise to the various “camps” in this community.

1. To the remaining NaruSaku bunch:

Yes, I get it, you’re disappointed with the ending. Yes, you wanted Naruto with Sakura and apparently you cannot see how in the world NaruHina even happened. But if you took your bias out for a bit, you would see that pairing Naruto with Hinata was THE ONLY positive outcome for Naruto romance-wise. Or did you really want Naruto to end up with a “prize” that never even ONCE expressed her desire to be with him romantically in any way, shape or form. And don’t bring up the fake confession because this is all that is. FAKE. To save the love of her life from sinking into darkness. And how can you go around Hinata’s heartfelt confession during the Pein arc? So, please STOP insulting Hinata and her fans - let people enjoy the canon pairings that were planned from the beginning of serialisation of the project.

2. To the very vocal SNS community:

I’ll just keep it simple. If Masashi Kishimoto wanted this manga to be shonen-ai or yaoi, he would’ve acted on it. Editor or not, Kishi stands behind his story. He always has. And please don’t bring the supposed “homophobia” into this. Homophobia is a very serious rl issue that affects millions of people worldwide and you’re NOT helping the cause by insulting and hating on people enjoying the het canon pairings of Narutoverse. You do realize that your rants about it only trigger more hate towards yourselves and the cycle of hatred goes on. So we all end up bashing real living breathing humans “for the sake” of inked characters.. Let it sink in.

3. To the die hard SasuKarin minority:

Bruh.. There’s so much I’d like to bring up here but I’ll stick to basics. Firstly, your claim to be Sasuke fans is ridiculous because you seem to view him as a mindless, powerless beta male that was harassed by a woman SO HARD that he decided to give it to her.. really?! Is that who you think he is? Because that’s what you all seem to claim by saying that “Sakura chased after him”. You take that line from Gaiden and take it completely out of context. Do you know ANYTHING about Sasuke? Anything at all? If there’s anything manga taught us about his character is that Sasuke Uchiha acts as he pleases. He did so when he first left the village, he did so when he killed Orochimaru, he did so when he fought with Naruto, he did so when he willingly gave up his old worldview, and he did so when he married his wife. And you bring up “rape” into the matter. Seriously?! Do I need to bring up the sweaty t-shirts, licking somebody all over and ravaging them in their sleep? Do I? Thankfully, Karin redeemed herself by worrying about Sasuke’s wife well-being enough to deliver her baby and by thinking about HER happiness in Sasuke Shinden. She clearly cares about the Uchiha family wellbeing more than you do. She moved on!! So should you.

4. To NaruHina and SasuSaku respectively:

There is NO popularity contest. Man, I can’t believe we’ve got to this. There is absolutely NO popularity contest between Sakura and Hinata, neither there is for their romances. They’re different, just as the girls are different, and the boys are different. There is no such thing as a cookies cutter perfect romance. They’re written differently and I’m thankful to Kishimoto for that. I wouldn’t want every couples way to the altar copy-pasted. SS is angstier and more complicated. Their history is different. Yes. NH has been more subtle during the Shippuden but both pairings came together as was planned and we should feel proud and victorious that our ships made it to canon. But that’s too boring I guess. I guess tearing each other down is the new sport. So please tell me: what has Sakura ever done to Hinata except for being a good friend?! Same goes for Hinata. Can you put away your hate for Sakura/Hinata for one minute to appreciate the fact that the girls are ACTUALLY HAPPY! The way it was planned from the beginning. They’ve both suffered, ached and spilled tears for the men they love SO MUCH. And now they’re happy! Can’t we celebrate that?! This brings me to my next and final point.

5. To Sakura haters:

I’ll keep it brief. I honestly really truthfully DO NOT get WHY you hate on her so much.I REALLY DON’T.

5.1. For those of you who hate her for getting in the way of your ship, please see above. You really must either not have read the manga, or fanfiction.net is your source of truth. Hating her for being paired with Sasuke is same as hating Kishimoto for making Naruto a jinchuuriki because both canon facts were pre-planned by the author.

5.2. If you hate her for being mean to Naruto, then I suggest reading the manga past chapter 3 because this misconception gets debunked really quickly. You should stop refusing to accept the fact that Sakura really cares about Naruto as a friend and a precious teammate.

5.3. If you hate her for being “useless”, I don’t even know what to tell you because.. you know.. you don’t know the content of the manga called “Naruto” so why don’t you put away your bias for a minute and try to see what I see? All you have to do is clear your mind of all misconceptions and just read the manga with, you know, open mind?! To see how many lives she saved, how much of strength she has considering her humble beginnings, and how much valued she is in the village.

To the rest of Naruto fandom that gets swayed in every direction influenced by reviewers on social media, extremist shippers or even have trouble realizing that characters are fictional and nothing really happens to them unless it’s written into the canon verse by the author, I have one advice to you: please don’t let anyone’s opinions affect your judgement. YouTube reviewers are PAID to provoke and trigger you. They earn money by imposing THEIR ideas and theories onto YOU. Some of them bring their own life experiences into the discussion which only causes you to self-insert.

Naruto is an awesome manga! It deals with such important issues and carries such a positive message! Please, STOP ruining it by pointless wars that only fuel more hate!

Now. Going back to my first point about the money. Anime production studios have a huuuge interest in you staying glued to the screens. They’ll do anything to provoke you to talk about whatever happens on screen. They will bring their own bias into the mix, and fuel this madness even more. For the anime only fans I will say that you’re doing a huge disservice to yourself and to the work of art that “Naruto” is by only watching anime. It adds another layer of interpretation thus confusing you even more. Please, read the manga! It’s so worth it!

#Naruto #rant #cycle of hatred #stop #spread the word

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opbackgrounds · 4 years

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Hi there Sarc' ;) I am sorry if the question has already been asked but I thought it could be interesting to have your opinion about this. While I love most of the female characters in OP and think that most of them are well developed and can be truly good role models for girls I still feel that Oda sometimes has a sexist view on female characters (the jokes about the naked bath scenes for example or Kororo being considered ugly make me really uncomfortable). What do you think about it?

Ah, I wondered when I would get this question.

When people talk about sexism in One Piece they typically are referring to two different things: How women are drawn, and how they’re treated within the narrative. While there’s some overlap here, there’s enough distinction that I want to address them as two separate points in two separate posts, because I guess I had Opinions, and by god there should be a limit to how much text one tumblr post can be expected to hold. Consider this an introduction.

Buckle up, kiddos. This is gonna be a long one.

Nami Face Syndrome Isn’t the Problem...

An important thing to remember with Oda’s art and storytelling style is that almost everything is hyper exaggerated for effect. You don’t go into One Piece looking for realism. You don’t go into One Piece expecting the characters to act like normal people. Everything--from the art to the humor to the battles--is stretched and pulled to its absolute limit in hopes of garnering a particular reaction. When a character is sad they cry big bubbly tears with dribbles of snot coming from their nose. When they laugh their mouths take up half their face.

And when a girl is hot, her tiddies are two great big watermelons stuck to the center of her chest.

What is often dubbed “Nami Face Syndrome” within the fandom is somewhat misleading. After all, why was Wanda, who is a literal dog that walks on two legs, decried as yet another Nami clone at her introduction? I would postulate it’s less to do with her face and more to do with the fact that from the neck down they are virtually identical, something that’s made more obvious because Wanda is literally wearing Nami’s clothes

What makes this frustrating for a lot of people, myself included, is that it’s not that Oda is incapable of drawing more diverse body types, but that he often chooses not to. Take for example the Kuja tribe

or the Charlotte family daughters (thanks to Arthur at Library of Ohara for the resource). It’s pretty clear Oda has the chops to make his women as weird as the men, and he often does! For important characters, even. And yes, as the Kokoro example given above sometimes the gonkness is brought attention to, but for others like Lola and Chiffon it’s...not.

(more on mermaids later)

But Sarcasticles, one might protest, even Oda’s “ugly” characters have ginormous boobs! Where is my itty bitty titty committee representation >:(

To which I can only shrug. For Oda, boobs on a woman are like abs on men. It doesn’t matter if it makes sense, they’re gonna have ‘em

Seriously, Oda. What the fuck.

...So What Is?

I have a theory that’s impossible to prove, and that the problem isn’t so much Oda’s character design so much as the ratio of his male to female characters in general. It’s not that every female character is a Nami clone, but Oda has a template he uses for attractive female characters ages 16-25, the same way he uses Robin as a template for attractive women ages 26-35, which is how you get cases of mistaken identity like Viola for Robin or scenes during Reverie where one could be forgiven for thinking Nami’s supposed to be an identical triplet

Oda does this for his men, too. It’s not as obvious because 1) Even men with similar facial features can have a wider variety body types due to Oda having a sliding scale of buffness he’s willing to attach to a pretty face and 2) There are more men.

There are a lot more men.

In groups where the male to female ratio is more or less equal (Baroque Works, Big Mom’s kids) you get a wide variety of designs. But there’s only one female Supernova. There’s one female Warlord. CP9 only has one female agent. Only one of the Revolutionary Commanders is a woman. There are very few female background characters in crowd shots, especially among marines. Big Mom might be the only female Emperor, but she’s not young, In fact, when drawing her at age 28, Oda defaults to a much more generic “pretty girl” face before giving her much more striking, memorable features in her 40s

If you look at Oda’s male characters, the ones that are supposed to be hot are often given the same square jawline and the thin-bladed nose that at one point in time was reserved for Robin. Both Coby and Sabo had very distinctive noses before their glowups, while Ace must have had a laser treatment done on his eyebrows sometime between Alabasta and Marineford.

But the biggest difference on the men has got to be muscle mass. The overgrown noodles of early One Piece are lost to the annals of time. Shanks alone must have gained 30 pounds of pure muscle from the time Luffy got his first bounty to his appearance at Marineford.

Now, I will acknowledge that there is a difference between the increasing sexualization of female characters and the male power fantasy of giving Zoro bara tiddies post-timeskip. While I do think there are certain male characters specifically designed to be the Hot Dude, what I’m trying to emphasize here is that Oda works with templates for both men and women, and both of those templates have been exaggerated over time. Bigger boobs for women, more muscles for men. And when you’re only slotting for one girl in any given group, and that one girl has to be The Hot One then you’re going to have a lot of ladies that end up looking the same.

My love for Otohime on this blog is well known, and I want to use her as an example of what Oda can do when he works beyond this template, because it’s really freaking good

Otohime is neither conventionally attractive nor gonk. She’s dressed in very conservative, traditional clothing and has a narrow waist and small chest.

There are no sharp edges on Otohime. Not her eyebrows, not her jaw, and most of the time not even her hands, emphasizing her gentle nature. You don’t see it as well in this panel, but Otohime’s head is often drawn wider than her shoulders, emphasizing her frailty. Oda gives her a longer neck to compensate, and the overall effect is a very soft, willowy figure.

Her headpiece looks like a sunburst. The audience never sees her fins, so Oda gives her a scale patterned kimono-dress-thingy (my knowledge of Japanese clothing is, uh, not good) as a visual reminder that she’s not human. The sash that circles around her head harkens back to Japanese mythology as a symbol of divinity, similar to a halo in Western culture. And fun fact: Otohime is named after a god, just like Neptune, while her goals and ideals are pure enough to be heaven-sent.

I’m not an artist, but this is a really damn good character design. A lot of Oda’s older female characters are. Dandan, Tsuru, O-Tsuru, Shakky, Kureha, Big Mom, and Nyon are all instantly recognizable and have strong designs, even if a few of them fall into the hourglass figure that Oda often defaults to. It’s just...there aren’t that many of them.

So the question becomes why aren’t there more women, and I think the answer is because, ultimately, One Piece is a series geared at boys. While I wish there were a few more important ladies, I can understand why there aren’t.

Note, that doesn’t mean I think it’s right or that Oda is obligated to include more women. It’s just one of the facts of the shonen manga industry at this point in time.

A more important question, I think, is why does every younger woman have to be attractive? And why do the attractive ladies have to wear outfits that are blatant fanservice? This is something I don’t have an answer for. Oda has said on more than one occasion that he writes One Piece with his twelve year old self in mind. It could be that it’s a calculated move to appeal to his audience, in which case it’s certainly worked because said Hot Ladies are constantly used in marketing and merchandising. It’s the Hot Ladies that top the popularity charts (although, to be fair, who’s there for competition?). In the most recent chapter a new Hot Lady was introduced, and the fandom went batshit crazy for her.

Even the fans who are very vocal about how Oda sucks at drawing women. It’s interesting how that works out sometimes.

Or maybe I’m giving Oda too much credit, and he’s just horny. Not having direct access to Oda’s mind, I don’t have an answer. If I had to guess I’d say it’s a little of Column A, a little of Column B, because that’s usually how life is.

But in a vacuum big tiddies are just a design choice. An exaggerated aesthetic, in a series full of exaggerated aesthetics. It’s when that design choice is paired with in-story comments, actions, and decisions where things really start to get heated. But that’s a whole other ball of wax, and there should be a limit to how much one tumblr post can be expected to hold. I promise I’ll get to the meat of your question next time.

Thank you so much for your patience. I really do think it’s important to start here before diving into everything else, if only because it helps keep my thoughts organized. I hope you’ve found this helpful, and if not, I hope to do better next time.

#long post #dear lord what a long post #Character Design #one piece #I don't know why tumblr fucked up with the formatting of my answer #but I apologize in advance #sexism #sarc talks

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meigh-day · 4 years

Text

Obligation (Tendou x Reader)

I seriously didn’t think I would be back writing a brand new story already (I can feel the looks of betrayal from the 6 other fics I was writing previously.). It’s been like a day since I finished Breathing Lilies, but here I am with a great need to get this story out of my brain. So please enjoy yet another Tendou centric fic.

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Title: Obligation

Pairing: Mafia AU Tendou x F!Reader

Characters: Includes characters from both Shiratorizawa and Seijoh/Some OC background characters

Includes: Swearing, Mentions of Guns/Knives and Violence

Status: Complete

Word Count: 1.8k

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"Is this really necessary?" You mumble out in irritation.

"Watch your tone." Kimura warned, emphasized by the look he directed at you. He’d been taking care of you since you were twelve, playing both guardian and bodyguard when the need arose. Your parents had been special to the family and when they had both been taken out during a job, you were left to Kimura to look after. Over the years, you had tried to weasel your way into some kind of work within the family, anything would have done. You'd have been happy even just guarding a door but that meant you'd need a gun and Kimura had made it clear you weren't permitted to even hold a gun, let alone learn to use one. You'd even tried to get in on the boring office work but for whatever reason any and all attempts were thwarted and thus you were left to your own devices within the confines of the house.

With a sigh you force yourself to sit upright in the chair. You had been slouching like a moody teenager and he deserved more respect than that.

"I apologize, Sensei. Please continue."

The older man let out a sigh before continuing. It's not like he was a big fan of this idea either but they needed to ensure the relationship with the Shiratorizawa group remained intact and this seemed to be the preferred method the rest of the family had agreed upon.

"It's going to take place in about a month but they want you to go stay with them before-hand so you can get to know him and get familiar with how they do things."

You chew thoughtfully at the inside of your lip as you ponder this new development. It wasn't uncommon to arrange a marriage between families to secure a new alliance or to further strengthen an old one. Now, it was your turn. For years you had complained about not being able to do something for the family that had continued to take care of you in the absence of your parents but, now that your time had come, you couldn't help but feel a little hesitant. Marrying someone you had never met wasn't your idea of romance but that didn't matter. You nod a little bit as you steel yourself, mentally preparing as you come to terms with the decision that had been made on your behalf.

"Do, do you know who it is?" Kimura nods at your question, crossing his arms as he takes a few paces across the room.

"Tendou Satori." That name, it sounded so familiar but you couldn't quite seem to bring up his image in your mind.

"You actually met him once a few years ago."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. He helped tie-up some loose ends in connection to the gang who..." He faltered for a moment, even though it had been so many years, he could still see the sadness in your eyes over the loss of your parents. It had taken several years to track down and wipe out every single rat that had had a hand in your parent's death. The family had lost a number of valuable people that day, and they made sure everyone involved paid for it dearly. You glanced up and over at him, already knowing the words before he said it, and with that brought a vision of crimson hair.

"Oh." You nodded and your sensei understood you knew the person he was referencing.

"I'm sorry. I know he's not the nicest looking person. Red hair and eyes like a demon and a personality to match."

To that you said nothing. That was not the person you remembered. In your memories you saw a smile with kind eyes to match and the loveliest red hair. Honestly, even after all these years, he was still the most beautiful person you had ever seen. Tendou had only stayed at this house for a short time but each day the two of you managed to find one another. Maybe you unconscientiously sought him out, maybe he did the same, or maybe it was just fate or a coincidence. Talking with him had been a treat and you sorely missed him when he'd finally had to return home.

"When am I expected?"

"Tomorrow."

With a nod, you offer the older man a bow before leaving. He watched you leave and let out a little sigh before retrieving his phone.

"It's me. Yea. She's gone to pack. Hm? No she understands." He listened to the voice on the other end of the phone, pacing across the room to stare out the window. You had taken this so casually that it made him a little nervous. Not that you were the type to argue but he was so sure as soon as he’d told you who it was you were being forced to marry you would at least try talk to him into getting you out of it. Instead, you were on your way to your room to pack. He was less that excited to know you were going to be married to the monster of the Shiratorizawa group. Tendou was good at what he did, it was absurd how good he was actually. Kimura had seen the aftermath of the red-head's work and it had left even a veteran like him feeling uneasy. Now he had to send you off into that creatures clutches tomorrow and there was a good chance he might never see your precious face again. There was nothing to be done for it though, in the end you had a purpose to fulfill and he would make sure you got there. After that it was up to you to decide how you would handle the rest.

...

Presently, you found yourself standing in a rather large vestibule, your luggage sitting off to the side. As your eyes roam the room, you find yourself nervously toying with the hem of your shirt. An assortment of emotions plagued you as you stood waiting. You were scared, you'd had zero interactions with the people in this house and had no idea what to expect. You felt sad, you'd had less than 24 hours to say goodbye to everyone who had been a part of your life until this point. However, mixed into the sadness and the fear of the unknown, was excitement. You were genuinely looking forward to seeing Tendou once again. There was sure to be a bit of awkwardness, you were, for lack of a better term, being forced to marry each other. You wondered if he would even remember you. It had been a few years since then and it was such a short time, you couldn't imagine you had made any kind of real impression on him.

That's where you were wrong. Satori, like you, didn't remember your name right away but when reminded of that job a few years ago, your pretty face came rushing back to him. That had been the happiest series of weeks he could recall in a long time. Everyday the two of you would inevitable run into each other and spend the following minutes..sometimes hours...chatting and joking. The sound of your laugh had become his favorite song for those few weeks and he'd have given anything to hear it once more. So, when the time came for him to leave, his only qualm was that he'd had to leave you behind. At first when he'd been told they were marrying him off to a perfect stranger, he'd been ready to spill blood. His tune changed completely when they'd told him it was you. He was so thoroughly happy, for a little while anyway. Sure you hadn't know each other for long but at least you had met and every memory of you was bliss. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world but he could only imagine how you were feeling right now. The prospect of being forced to marry him, it must have been so terrifying.

Tendou was all to familiar with what people said about him, he'd used those rumors to his advantage. They helped him built up a fairly fearsome persona, though it wasn't all bullshit. He really, truly, was a terrifying being to behold when it came to completing his work. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, dripping with someone else's blood. But that wasn't all there was to him, he was still just a person, just a human being. He loved to laugh and share jokes, though they went fairly unappreciated around here. He happily devoured Shonen Jump each week, the shelves in his room practically sagged with the weight of the collected issues. He was the demon, the monster, of the Shiratorizawa Group, but he was still just a human and part of him desperately wanted to feel something akin to love. Even so, he knew there was no way someone as wonderful as you, someone so charming, so beautiful inside and out, could really truly fall for a beast like him. He knew you would do your duty and you would do it well but that's all it was, a duty, a job, a burden.

So with a sigh, he made his way through the house to collect you. He wore black from top to bottom, the only pop of color on his entire person was his dazzling red hair. You had to grit your teeth to refrain from gasping when he entered the room. He cut an impressive figure, leaning casually against the door frame, his calculating red eyes on you. You remembered he was handsome, but had he always been THAT good looking. It wasn't fair. Suddenly you felt very plain and underdressed in comparison to him. The knee-length jacket he wore on top of his outfit fluttered behind him as he crossed the threshold into the vestibule.

"It's been awhile, Y/N." He offered up a grin as he drew closer to you. Had you always been this pretty? The expression on his face did little to betray the thoughts racing around his mind as he took in your appearance. His memory of you couldn't compare to the vision before him now. You were looking up at him with wide eyes but he couldn't tell if it was in fear or awe. Though, assuming it was the former he let the grin on his lips fade until his mouth was pressed into a line.

"It's nice to see you again, Tendou." You smiled up at him, truly happy to see him again and feeling somehow lucky. Honestly, arranged marriages often ended up in extremely unfortunate pairings. Somehow you had hit the jackpot.

He hummed in response, the negative thoughts prickling in his mind wouldn't allow him a moment to just consider perhaps you meant it. Instead he noted how well you were already performing under this obligation. He hefted your two suitcases up and started back towards the door he came in.

"Wait! Let me help you with those." He glanced over his shoulder, a smirk on his lips.

"Don't worry your pretty little head. It's the least I can do as your future husband."

#tendou x reader #tendou #tendou satori #haikyuu #haikyuu mafia #tendou mafia #mafia au #shiratorizawa #shiratorizawa mafia

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curedigiqueen · 3 years

Text

So while I was working on my… analysis I suppose, on why Digimon Adventure: does not work as a show, it occurred to me that despite claims that Taichi in Adventure: is inspired by V-Tamer Taichi, his partner is an Agumon whose final evolution is Omegamon, and why that doesn’t work. But I realized that it is a point that I could expand on, and so I have separated it out here. Consider it a preview.

The protagonists of Digimon V-Tamer are Yagami Taichi and his partner Zero, a Veedramon. The story is carried by these two alone. While others help and hinder them on their way, their mission is theirs, and the responsibility of defeating Daemon belongs to no one else. It is with that power that they reach their highest form, UlforceVeedramon Future Mode While Taichi is the main protagonist, Zero is just as much a protagonist. Their names, even reference binary. While there are other characters who impact the plot, the role of protagonist belongs to these two.

This is echoed in the themes of Digimon Adventure:, the digivice in the title supposedly representing the bonds between human and digimon. And, while I don’t think it particularly succeeds, I can see clear attempts to be made to make the digimon partners their own characters, equals to their human partners.

But yet, Digimon Adventure: uses Omegamon as Taichi and Agumon’s final evolution. And that is a bit of a problem. Digimon Partners are not interchangeable. Well, okay, the species are a bit arbitrary, all things considered, (after all, Zero’s rookie form is also Agumon) but the problem is what UlforceVeedramon represents vs. Omegamon.

In Digimon Adventure, Omegamon is not Taichi’s power alone. Not by a long shot. Taichi is not the solo human protagonist of Digimon Adventure. Even in the first film, before Hikari was even meant to play a key role in the series, she shared the series debut. Regardless, the burden of defeating Apocalymon is not his alone to bear. And Agumon’s evolutions reflect that. WarGreymon is reached through borrowing Hikari’s power. Omegamon is literally formed by WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon (who was formed by borrowing Takeru’s power), but in reality is born from the power of hundreds of people reaching out from across the world. And perhaps even Taichi’s crest of Courage is not something that belongs to him alone. As Yamato puts it, “It’s everyone's Friendship”. Though Taichi best embodies courage, the courage he wields is not his alone. Even tri. which I usually avoid using as an example, has Omegamon Merciful Mode, which very explicitly draws from the other children’s partners. Adventure’s Taichi’s not strong because he himself is powerful. Really compared to Hikari he seems rather unimpressive on his own. He’s strong because he is able to easily act as a receiver to others powers, a trait that is fitting for a leader. Because that’s what sets Adventure Taichi apart from his peers, he’s a leader.

Note, that I didn’t really bring up the partners in regards to the discussion of Adventure, not that they aren’t important, but that they aren’t a driving factor. Digimon partners are something vastly different in Digimon Adventure. They are reflections of the children’s inner selves. For straightforward characters, like Taichi, his partner Agumon is very much like him, and for characters like Sora, Piyomon seems very different. This isn’t to say that the digimon are simply their partners, Tailmon went through quite a bit on her own. But nevertheless, Tailmon is the way she is, because Hikari is the way she is.

Digimon Partners and their evolutions are not things that are just assigned, and given. They are things that arise from the circumstances. Omegamon is there because the themes and circumstances make Omegamon the most appropriate "Ultra”. This is true both in and out of universe, who can forget SkullGreymon? SkullGreymon isn’t wrong. It’s just not the evolution that fits Taichi and Agumon’s situation.

And here’s the thing. Digimon has done the whole focus on “Bonds with Partner’s” before. That’s Tamers. And in Tamers, the final evolution was born from a human and a digimon literally coming together as one. The final episodes all appear somewhat humanoid as a result, particularly notable from WarGrowmon to Gallentmon. Because that was what evolutions were needed narratively and thematically. Otherwise, we have Megidramon. And guess what, the Adventure timeline also has a movie in which the focus is on the bonds between human and friendship, and lo and behold. In Digimon Adventure Kizuna, Agumon (Bond of Courage) and Gabumon (Bond of Friendship) were born. Born from the bond between human and digimon. They even use the “looking like humans” idea from Tamers.

Interestingly, Kizuna came right before Digimon Adventure: started.

Now, I am really advocating for the Bond forms to be used in Adventure:, those forms were something special to that timeline. But that’s just the thing. Many evolutions, whether unique digimon or not, are brought about by circumstances unique to that timeline. Look at 02’s usage of Armor levels, Frontier's Hybrids, and Xros Wars' Xros mechanic. It’s not new for later seasons to take these Digimon that have existed in these specific circumstances and use them generically later. It would, after all, be a shame to put all those good designs to waste. But at the very least, the evolutions of the main cast are carefully chosen, created if need be, to fit the show.

And that creates a problem for Adventure: as a reboot. It is pulling from the evolutionary lines of its predecessor, despite aiming for different themes and using an entirely different world and characters, and in the process the meaning behind the evolutions has been stripped out. While it has been able to throw in additional evolutions, most of those are well within the confines of precedent: Armors and Ultimate’s that are already related to these evolutionary lines. Adventure: is trying to be a show that, as a reboot of Adventure, it cannot be. Adventure: spends so much of its time screaming that it is not the original Adventure, while simultaneously dragging in call backs that it loses any sense of identity.

The enemies they fight are not Taichi’s responsibility alone. These kids have to have crests. Agumon must evolve into Omegamon. Angemon still has to die, HolyAngemon and Angemon have to mean something. Tailmon has to be Adult, and has to have been evil. Hikari and Takeru have to give their brother’s power. Omegamon still has to appear. . They still go to summer camp, and Taichi still fights Parrotmon.

Note, that this is far from Adventure:’s only problem, however I do think it illustrates a large problem that affects the way certain elements and characters are used in this show. Taichi is a solo protagonist, but his “Ultra” is still Omegamon born of Yamato, Takeru and HIkari’s influence. Mimi is now a bossy rich girl, but her crest is still Purity. Yamato is a loner who doesn’t overly concern himself with others, but he’s still Friendship, and still Takeru’s semi-estranged younger brother.

When Adventure: manages to work a new angle into the old mold, it works well. Yamato’s focus on his friendship with Gabumon works well, and various side characters work alright. Resolving the conflict over Tailmon’s Ultimates by using both for separate things and bringing in Goddramon is a great idea. But more often than not, it doesn’t. Properly contextualizing what a holy digimon is is great, but Angemon’s death is awkward, and Pegususmon’s presence smooths over the issues of Tailmon being champion and keeping Angemon special in an awkward way, refusing to address what an Armor is. Because they are trying to write a story around a set of evolutions they are required to have while absolutely refusing to be Adventure where it matters. Leading to the awkward mesh of Adventure elements and characters, with themes and stories that they were never meant for.

If Adventure: was meant to be about the bond between Taichi and Agumon, Omegamon was never going to work, including the concepts of crests, was going to muddle things at the very least, and including 7 whole other partner pairs who are going to require at least a few episodes of focus a piece was not going to work out. It’s not that we couldn’t have had more focus on Taichi and Agumon within a reboot and their bond, or that the idea of Taichi and Agumon (or any other pair), activating an evolution because they are in agreement on a concept isn’t a good idea. Just an understanding that this primary focus wasn’t going to work because Adventure in its very concept has a lot of characters that need some degree of focus. Savers with its heavier Masaru focus and use of shonen tropes, dials back the number of “main” characters to half that of Adventure, because it is built around its premise. That unless they were going to be bumped down to secondary, recurring characters, this was never going to work, because that’s not how Adventure’s concept was intended. To tell a new story, it needed to have dropped a few more of Adventure’s elements. But to do that would be to essentially admit that this isn’t Adventure at all. Adventure: needed to have evaluated what story it could tell with what elements it was required to include.

Anything goes in Digimon, and Adventure: seems to want to make the most of this, using armors, Hybrids and Xros Wars digimon with regularity. But you can’t build a cohesive narrative simply by plucking your favorite ingredients and sticking it in a pot. Some things just don’t go together. You can’t take the ingredients to make bread and make a salad. But in short, V-Tamer Taichi and Adventure Taichi aren’t interchangeable. They are two different characters because they are designed for two different stories, and their partners reflect this. Adventure: was doomed from the start if it didn’t realize this.

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dokifluffs · 4 years

Text

Day at the Beach | Karasuno, Shiratorizawa

Groups: Karasuno, Shiratorizawa

Genre: fun, crack?

Request: “I’m the anon who asked if your request are open ! Hi can request some hc for going to the beach with Karasuno boy and shiratorizawa boys” - anonnie

Author’s Note: thanks for requesting! I hope this is okay anonnie~ happy reading!

Karasuno:

One word: chaos

Everyone met up in the early morning outside the gym

of couse noya was talking to tanaka in his stoic voice like: “ryu, we must protect kiyoko-san and ya-chan from all the dirty eyes today,” while tanaka was kneeling in front of him like that one scene at the training camp bbq with yamamoto

Things were actually, surprisingly calm, that is until Hinata rolled in with his volleyball

puppy mode activated. he kept nagging kageyama to toss for him right then and there in the parking lot while everyone just sighed all around

Daichi had to stop them from breaking into the gym to play before it was time to go even though Suga and him had the keys

Tsukishima was obviously grumbling about how annoying they were and how much energy they had with Yamaguchi and yachi beside him

On the way there: everybody. Knocked. Out. It took a couple hours and it was early so might as well catch some z’s

It was quiet like on the way to matches or wherever as a team

When there was about an hour left before arriving, everyone slowly woke

Chaos ensued near the back with the first years plus nishinoya and Tanaka playing uno, the other second years chilling and watching

While the third years just vibes toward the front

Occasional yells, glares, and threats sent from daichi when they were too loud

Nishonoya was winning the game of course, cheering the others on while feeling like a god

Hinata said uno reverse and was the one calling Kageyama boke for not getting a grasp of the game

he also sent a lot of skips and plus cards his way to piss him off even more

Hinata honestly almost died. the amount of times kageyama grabbed his skull made everyone wonder how his skull hadn’t been split yet

The bus ride was honestly really funn despite hinata almost dying at kageyama’s hand~

Hinata was of course the first one to notice the ocean after placing second in the game after yachi followed by tsuki, Tanaka, yamaguchi, noya, and finally kageyama losing

after finding a good spot, everyone got out and hinata and kageyama practically bolted, their swimwear already on and other clothes shoved into their bag

tanaka and noya were also almost like them. keyword almost. but as soon as they spotted another man, they were guarding yachi and kiyoko already

everyone else grabbed their belongings and slowly made their way toward the general area where kageyama and hinata had dropped their own belongings and were already diving into the water

the entire day was filled with fun

lots of swimming, playing all sorts of games in the sand

especially beach volleyball in the sand courts there were

even here, despite the ground being completely different from the normal gym floors, kageyama and hinata’s energies were drained, everyone’s were but they were of course still going at it

soon it just became a one on one

everyone watched from the side, relaxing under the sun

tsuki brought a book of course but he also just vibed with the music, in charge of the aux

tsuki, yams, and yachi were sat near the shore at the edge where the water came right at the edge, the two of them looking at the little crabs and seashells while tsuki just sat and watched, observing with the two sane people he actually liked out of everyone else

kiyoko helped takeda and ukai grill some food as the sun set, setting up food for everyone to eat

daichi, suga, and asahi went to a market area around and brought back bags of drinks and ice for the cooler

as the day went on, the beach cleared leaving just the team

everyone gathered around the firepit eating their dinners, laughing about the season and funny moments and memories

they never wanted the day to end, the memories to end

Shiratorizawa:

things were actually super chill

the beach days were the one day they could all truly relax and not give a care about anything in the world

the bus ride there wasn’t too long and everyone just did their own things

some got shut eye, some listened to music

tendo read his shonen jump like the king he is as ushi gazed outside, his eyes fixed on the crops, sighing in satisfaction at how good the soil was this year akjsdhjaks

everybody else just vibed tbh

goshiki sat behind ushijima of course, sometimes making conversation with shirabu beside him

semi listened to his music, taking up a whole pair of seats since the bus was large enough for there to be a lot more vacant seats even with the team riding it

getting there, the beach was somewhat full but no bother

a few already had gotten changed/ most already had their trunks on on the bus

you already know that as soon as these men were already walking down the beach to a vacant spot, they were catching the attention of numerous people

they caught even more when they took off their shirts akjsd

of course ushi being the most built and drooled over, everything, all the comments and even a few whistles from older women went right over his head or even in his ear and out the other

tendo, ushi, semi, and goshiki helped open a tent, burying the poles deep into the sand

everyone paired off and put on sun screen on each other’s backs of course

there was some playing in the water but it was the volleyball team

of course they were going to play

ushijima first watched this group play and ended up subbing in

it was a lot different for him but he got the hang of it since there wasn’t anything about this he couldn’t handle

literally almost broke someone’s nose playing askdja and then gradually, it became the team’s court

it was a mix of fun while also being serious and each side trying to win

the sand itself was definitely a different feeling for them than the gym floor but it was a lot more fun to dive around and just being free

goshiki got buried by tendo and reon

they gave him b00bies and wouldn’t let him go despite all his cries, talking about feeling something pinching his feet

washijo told him to suck it up askdjh

tbh seeing all these tall bois intimidated the hell out of the kiddos there but it was all fun and no one cried ah ha ha

when it was emptier, semi pulled out his speaker and played his bops his mixtape

but the day was mainly filled with beach volleyball and when things got intense, people actually started to gather and watched and some even wanted to sub in

that is until they saw ushi’s bone breaking smeck

to relax, tendo and ushi actually laid beneath the sun getting their tan on

around sunset, to let off some steam, the team walked along the boardwalk

of course, catching the eyes of almost everyone since they didn’t really wear shirts- well they did but more like muscle tanks that showed off their tanned and toned arms

and their shorts were very similar to they volleyball ones that showed off their thunder thighs

they went into shops and tendo got everyone to try on the wacky shirts and fun glasses, snapping some pics for fun

goshiki tried to act v mature for some reason but let himself go when he glanced over to see ushijima with his stoic face wearing heart sunglasses and a rainbow sombrero that tendo and semi had put on him

everyone lost it akjsdajhds

the day ended with a nice dinner out at the end of the pier and then a calm bus ride home with their own bags of goodies

~~~~~ Thanks for reading! Masterlist for more! Please do not repost anywhere else!

#haikyuu #haikyuu!!#haikyuu fluff #karasuno #shiratorizawa #karasuno imagines #shiratorizawa imagines #karasuno scenarios #karasuno headcanons #shiratorizawa headcanons #shiratorizawa scenarios #dokifluffs

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storage73011 · 4 years

Text

What are you smiling about?

➳ Prompt #2 - What are you smiling about? (more prompts)

➳ Summary: Y/N reminisces about the past

➳ Pairing: Izuku Midoriya x Reader

➳ Warnings: Fluff, Angst if you squeeze, no beta we die like man, english not being my main language, so I am sorry if I made any mistakes, please don’t hesitate to correct me

➳ Word Count: 2k+

➳ Requests are open

A tired sign pushed throw your lips as you settled the last box, it was certainly being a hassle to make the sift from your old place, but it was stupidly worth it, it was closer to everything, price of the things was better anyway too, closer to your work, and just overall the whole package deal, amazing space, amazing view, a freaking reasonable price that you actually leave you enough money to not need to live off microwave food-

“(Y/N), do you have the box with the pans?”

Oh, and of course, the whole reason why you even considered doing anything in your life, Deku to the world, but for you he would always be Izuku Midoriya, your boyfriend, you could still remember it all as if it were yesterday, precious memories from when you were just starting at UA, as well as him.

Truth to be told, you didn’t quite expect much when you were in the support course, your plan was to make in the world as a pillar for the heroes, with your inventions as to enhance their powers, their abilities, people never use to talk much of them because of the lack of the glamour, but the one time you saw people actively “milking the sweat” out of a hero in training to make a costume that would allow him to use his quirk more efficiently … you knew that people were missing out on tons of good stories.

Meeting Izuku happened on an accident, actually, you weren’t the student assigned to him, UA wasn’t crazy (ok maybe they were a tad crazy looking back) to let only a first year to take care of other first years, most of the hard job would rely on the third years the most since they were going to go to the real working world real soon, but wouldn’t you know that your friendship with the overly energetic Hatsume would let you met the love of your life uh?

It would be like the scene right from a cheap shonen manga when you opened the door and found the girl literally pining the poor green haired boy down forcing him to test some of her inventions, you were so shocked you almost stepped back and decided to ignore that, almost. If it weren’t for a string of fast spoken words as soon as Hatsume was off the boy, babbles that you still couldn’t make sense for the life of you, you were never going to be here now, happy now.

“Yes Zuku, it was the last box!” you shouted back, walking pass the living room to the kitchen.

The pink haired girl laughed it off, as usual, ignoring the fact that she was forcing the boy to something he did not, chuckling it up to “it’s just her way to do things” there was no ill intent, you knew, but still had to have yet another pep talk about people’s personal spaces.

He introduced himself to you rather clumsy, with an unnecessary over the top bow considering that you both were the same age, that was the first time he had made you smile, giggling a little, you did the same.

“I thought we were going to order take out for today, you know, since we worked so god damn hard moving all the things from our old places” you said lazily resting your upper body over in the kitchen counter, eyes darting over your boyfriend while he was placing the new set of plates on the table, his curly hair was even more of a mess, but he didn’t seem tired at all, you even dared to say he was excited.

“I know, I know” he gave a soft laugh, looking at you oh so softly, with a hand over the base of his neck, he used to do this when he was slightly nervous you noticed, he was averting his eyes a bit, still, after all these years, he would still act nervous around you in times like this, you gave a half smile. “I just … though that it would be nice for us to make something together, I mean I understand if you are too tired to want to make something from scratch, you had a full day of work with the new flow of sidekicks in the agency and then still have to finish moving here with me but this is our first time l-living together… and I mean, I just wanted to…. I wanted to” oh god you couldn’t believe he could get even redder, Izuku was great with words when he wanted to be, but new experiences, especially in the relationship usually left him a little overwhelmed.

It could be coincidence or fate, but ever since your first time meeting the hero, he was always there when you had to talk to Mei, or randomly he would find you in the lab testing something out, he’d even volunteer to try some of your newest creations, it wasn’t until you were late to your usual time on the lab that you found him searching for your presence on the empty lab that you knew he was actively trying to spend time with you.

You also found out that a new shade of red existed when you caught him in the act while he mumbled excuses.

It was in the end of second year that he confessed to you, you guys were outside of UA for once, and by some miracle nobody tried to actively murder his class (another whole set of stories, many of them ending up with him crying while you placed gentle touches on his back), it was the middle of summer, the start of the night was hot as hell, you all just had said your goodbyes to your friends, Izuku would always offer to walk you home, even if his house was in the other direction of yours. You were happily playing with one cheap rubber water ball you brough in the small open fair that you guys spend the day looking at stuff while talking to him about some heroes status, you were in the middle of a pretty furious fit of giggles with the uniform of some of the pro heroes when Izuku stopped walking for a moment, you stopped moments later when you realized he wasn’t moving.

He was looking at you tenderly for a second before his face turned into determination and them a sudden realization that made him blush hard, but still stood his ground, not daring for a second to look away from you. You never felt more conscious of everything, in yourself, in him, the breathing, the rest was the rest and you were only focused on him and vice versa.

Taking a deep breath, he took his shot, the words coming out directly, louder than he intended, but ever so clear.

“(Y/N), I am in love with you!”

Then it was quiet. He wouldn’t dare to open his eyes, as if he was afraid of the reaction, of what he had just done. But it wasn’t needed when he could feel you throwing yourself at him in a hug, and the words he needed to hear so much after hearing the ones you wanted the most, so delicately in a whisper, almost as if it was a prayer.

“I love you too, Izuku”

You stepped closer to him, his voice was extremely low, and quiet, if any nose were to be there you would miss it. You placed your hands in each side of his cheeks, he was taller than you now, and gave him a reassuring smile, Izuku still would not dare to make eye contact.

“Want to…?” you tried to keep with the same low tone he was, as if you talked louder you could startle him, the smile never leaving your lips.

“…To make memories with you” Green orbs were now your focus, big doe eyes that would get you every time you looked at them with that sparkle that was always there when he talked to you, you felt your right hand being enveloped by a much larger, rougher one, slightly sliding over his lips, where he placed a delicate kiss over your palm. “I guess I just want us to have a great start together here” he let go of you hand while leaning towards the other that was still on his cheek, finally admitted to his small domestic desire.

“Then get me the ingredients, mister” you responded in a heartbeat, slightly booping his nose then placing both of your hands on your hips with more enthusiasm than you actually had “because we are making curry then”

“Don’t force yourself for me, (Y/N)” He said, softly, even if he could not hide his contentment.

“Izu, you’re always doing things for me, this is the least I could do, believe me, this is a two-way street after all” you added with a slightly smug face while already getting the carrots ready to be sliced.

Seemly satisfied with your answer, your boyfriend turned over to make his part of the meal, while you were humming a song.

Sometimes, being on support was brutal, people would complain to you about things that were not even your work but since it didn’t worked well with the other amalgamation of equipment’s they have, suddenly it was all your fault over and over again, turns out that Karens could actually be heroes and this information would have been so much nicer if people could have focused that while you were studying but oh well.

You flopped in your boyfriend’s place again, too tired to actually wait more time to take the train to go to your house, you needed a break.

Your lovely boyfriend chuckled a little once you walked upon the doors looking like a zombie and flopping onto the couch without any grace.

“Don’t laugh at my suffering Zuzu” you whined, not taking your face off the soft pillow.

“Sorry honey” you could feel him sitting next to you, his fingers running through your hair, you almost melted in fabric. “Hard day?”

“Something like that” You were non nonchalant, looking up a little to see him, he could and would lift your humor without even noticing, you missed seem him everyday like this. “Thank for letting me here again Zuzu, I just am very tired and plus having to travel half of the city just so I can sleep doesn’t seem much worth it hehe”

“I see… but” He cleared this throat, in a half cough, you tilted your head slightly, his cheeks were flushed, but his hand was still over your head “I… I mean… you could always live here”

“Really?” That aught your attention, you guys were together for quite a while now but you didn’t want to rush him in any way.

“It … It would make sense and you would be more rested too, besides here is a great place, I have more than enough space as it is, the seller of the place himself actually was telling me on and on that his place was too big for only one person, but I would assure him that I wouldn’t be here alone for long and…” He would have continued to ramble if he didn’t register that he spilled his plan to you, keeping himself quiet.

“Of course I will move in with you Izuku!” there was never a doubt of it.

Two strong arms were slowly placed around your waist, with a small nuzzle on the back right were your head met your neck, his breathing sending shivers down your spine.

“What are you smiling about?” You could feel his own smile against your skin, making the smile you weren’t aware you had even wider.

“That I love you so much” your arms were over his, placing your fingers over each on of his “so much”

You couldn’t see, but as the hug got a little bit tighter, his lips tracing over your neck, you could tell, or at least hope he had the same blush on his face that you were having right now.

“I love you too, (Y/N)”

#midoriya x reader #izuku x reader #bnha x reader #mha x reader #bnha imagines #writing prompt #deku x reader #reader insert #izuku midoria x reader #izuku midoriya #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #this was suppoused to be a drabble #I love izuku so much #iagjdfgajrl #fiction writes

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